Nairobi history

Before 1890, there was no such place as Nairobi – the city was pulled from the surrounding swamps by the British as a depot for the Uganda Railway, but it grew rapidly as people realised the benefits of its abundant water supply and moderate climate. The original Maasai inhabitants of the area were soon displaced as homesteads and ranches spread out from the railway station.

Nairobi quickly established itself as a holiday resort for big-game hunters, with several grand colonial hotels and big game wandering freely around the city limits. Even Ernest Hemingway felt drawn to bag some Kenyan trophies, before local people woke up to the value of preserving the wildlife for future generations.

While Nairobi has now burgeoned into a typical African capital - sprawling, overcrowded and ringed by shanty towns – wildlife still roams in Nairobi National Park, just 7km (4 miles) from the city centre. The bustling business district, with its tall towers and honking taxis, is ringed by posh suburbs, full of shopping malls and gated communities, and shanty towns like Kibera, where more than a million people are crammed into just a few square kilometres.

Modern Nairobi has a reputation for crime (indeed, ‘Nairobbery’ is its unflattering nickname) but most of the centre is safe enough during the day, and taxis take the risk out of travelling after dark. Many visitors deliberately avoid the centre and stay in Karen, Westlands or one of the other upmarket suburbs.