Nairobi County

Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads, Airports, Climate & National Monuments in Nairobi County

Geography of Nairobi County

The terrain in the eastern side of Nairobi County is gently rolling but divided by steep valleys towards the City boundaries. To the north sits Karura Forest, that is typified by steep sided valleys. The Karen-Langata area is characterized by plains surrounded by Nairobi National Park, on the east, and Ngong Forest, on the south. The main rivers in Nairobi County are Nairobi River, Ngong River and Kabuthi River. These rivers are highly polluted as open sewers and waste is directed towards them. Nairobi Dam, along the Ngong River, and Jamhuri Dam are the main water reservoirs in the County. There are three forests in Nairobi County namely Ngong Forest, to the south, Karura Forest, to the north, and the Nairobi Arboretum. These three forests have a total coverage of about 23.1 km2.

Land Use in Nairobi County

The proportion of households that have title deeds in Nairobi County is low, a higher proportion of the non-poor compared to the poor own title deeds. The numbers of parcels held by the poor stands at 1,565 while those of the non-poor stands at 6,944, and 1,565 parcels operated by the poor have no title deeds. This situation is fuelled partly by historical land injustices, land grabbing and influx of unskilled and semi-skilled job seekers from rural areas. 450,000 households live within informal settlements that include Kibera, Kawangware and Mathare.

Highlights in Nairobi County

Nairobi County is a major centre of tourism in the region. Its relative proximity to many tourist attractions both in Kenya and East Africa makes it an asset in the tourism sector. As the capital city and commercial centre, Nairobi attracts many diplomats and leisure tourists; partly because it hosts the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) – the main point of entry to Kenya. The Nairobi National Museum which houses a collection of artefacts portraying Kenya‘s rich heritage through history, nature, culture and modern art is a must-do. Other museums include Nairobi Gallery and the Karen Blixen Museum. It has fifteen 5-star hotels and seventeen 4-star hotels with a total bed capacity of 5,700 beds.

View of the Karura Falls within the Karura Forest. Photo Courtesy of Trip Advisor — Karura Falls within the Karura Forest. Image Courtesy of Trip Advisor

Population in Nairobi County

In 2012, Nairobi County’s population was projected at 3,517,325 and expected to rise to 3,942,054 in 2015 and 4,253,330 in 2017. Makadara constituency had the least population, of 170,807 people, while Kamukunji recorded the highest population of 237,589. Out of its 17 constituencies, Mathare has the highest population density of 7,257 / km2, while Langata has the least (1,054 persons).

Airports in Nairobi

Nairobi County hosts Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), the biggest in Kenya. It also hosts Wilson Airport, the second biggest airport within Kenya.

Roads in Nairobi County

Nairobi County has a total road network covers 553 kms, of which, 423 kms are laid with bitumen standard, while 54 kms gravel and 76 kms are earth roads. The current road network is heavily congestion in most parts of the City scape, especially during the morning and evening peak hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.

Climate in Nairobi County

Nairobi County has a fairly cool climate based on its high altitude. Temperature range from a lowest of 10 C to a high of 29 C. It has a bi-modal rainfall pattern. The long rains season fall between March and May while the short rains falls between October and December. The dry spell (Jul – Sep) is peak travel season.