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Nairobi
Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, is also the capital of East Africa in many
ways. It is the financial and business center, as well as a transportation and
communications crossroad. With well over one million inhabitants and growing
rapidly, Nairobi has benefited greatly from Kenya's overall stability on a
continent known mainly for its lack of stability. As the largest city between
Cairo and Johannesburg and the UN's fourth "World Center", Nairobi is
an often frantic mix of businessmen, diplomats, tourists, and locals.
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Nairobi's history
is relatively uninteresting, especially when compared to coastal
areas like Mombasa or Lamu,
which date back much further in history. Nairobi originated in
1899 as a supply station for the expansion of the railroad as it
moved into the interior of Kenya. The name "Nairobi"
came from Ewaso Nairobi ("stream of cold water"),
which was the Maasai name for the valley.
After an outbreak of plague, the town was rebuilt and firmly
established. It became the capital of British East Africa in 1907
and quickly filled with Europeans. It has continued growing and
retained its status as a commercial center since that time.
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©1996-2000 Timothy F. Bliss
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