Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya, situated at an elevation of about 1795 m (about 5,889 ft) in the highlands of the southern part of the country. Nairobi is Kenya's primary financial, administrative and economic center and to an extent in the East and central Africa. It is one of the largest and fastest growing cities in Africa and is 4^th largest city in Africa as far as financial markets are concerned.

As a business hub in East and Central Africa, Nairobi’s economy is largely service driven with service and manufacturing taking center stage.

Among the large service industry players include telecommunication and financial services. Manufacturing includes processed food, textiles, clothing, building materials, and communications and transportation equipment.

The Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) is one of the largest in Africa and second oldest exchange. It is ranked fourth in terms of trading volume. The Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network defines Nairobi as a prominent social centre.

Today, Nairobi is one of the most prominent cities in Africa politically and financially and home to many local and international companies and organisations, including the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Office in Africa.

The city also supports a large tourist industry with over 80% of the country’s tour operators and travel agencies located here.

Most Tours to the top destinations in East Africa including the Masai Mara, Amboseli, and The Great Rift Valley and to an extent Northern Tanzania Parks depart from Nairobi.

Points of Interest

• Nairobi National Park, a large wildlife conserve on the outskirts of the city, is a major tourist attraction. Nairobi is probably the only city in the world with a Major wildlife park within its perimeter.

• Daphne Sheldrick animal Orphanage located within the Nairobi national Park is a sanctuary for caring for orphaned wild animals.

• The Giraffe Center located in the lush Karen area of Nairobi is an educational centre and part of African Fund for Endangered Wildlife. The park has a small herd of Rothschild's Giraffe which are endangered specie and you will get a chance to feed them.

• Karen Blixen Museum situated at the foot of the Ngong Hills, the Museum was originally the home of Karen Blixen of the Out of Africa fame.

• Other points of interest include the National Museum of Kenya, known for a display on early humans in Africa; the bomas of Kenya displaying the diverse nature of Kenya’s heritage.

History

Nairobi derived its name from the Masai word ‘Enkare Nyirobi’ which means ‘a place of cool waters’. Located in an area once frequented by the pastoral Masai, Nairobi was founded in the late 1890s as a British railroad camp on the Mombasa-to-Uganda railroad. From 1899 to 1905 it served as a British provincial capital. In 1905 the city became the capital of the British East Africa Protectorate (called Kenya Colony from 1920 to 1963). In 1963 Nairobi became the capital of independent Kenya and annexed neighboring areas for future growth.

Weather

Nairobi enjoys a moderate climate. Which is categorized as a subtropical highland climate. The high elevation above sea level makes for some chilly evenings, especially in the June/July season when the temperature can drop to 10 °C (50 °F). The sunniest and warmest parts of the year are from December to March, when temperatures averaging the mid-twenties during the day. The mean maximum temperature for this period is 24 °C (75 °F).[19]

There are two moderate rainy seasons. The cloudiest part of the year is just after the first rainy season, when, until September, conditions are usually overcast with drizzle. As Nairobi is situated close to the equator, the differences between the seasons are minimal. The seasons are referred to as the wet season and dry season. The timing of sunrise and sunset varies little throughout the year, due to Nairobi's close proximity to the equator.