Cities of Kenya | Mombasa, Nairobi and Kisumu.

Kenya Cities

Kenya cities| Mombasa, Nairobi, and Kisumu: Cities of Kenya; Kenya is a state found in East Africa, officially called the Republic of Kenya. It covers an area of 580,367 square kilometers, making it the 48th largest country in the world with a population of over 52.2 million people. Modern-Day Kenya was colonized by the British till 1963, when it gained its independence.

Kenya’s current capital city is called Nairobi, while the oldest capital city was Mombasa. Other cities include Kisumu (which is at the shore of Lake Victoria shared by Uganda and Tanzania), Nakuru, Eldoret, Naivasha, and others. The cities of Kenya are distributed along with the tourist destination areas; in other words, most of the Kenyan cities are found along the routes or near the national parks.

Kenya is one of the top wildlife countries in Africa with nice scenic parks where big game can be seen. It’s a home of the Great Rift Valley where scientist believes as the origin of mankind. The Republic of Kenya was named after Mt Kenya, the highest mountain in the country and the second-highest in Africa. With a wide range of parks like the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Park, Amboseli National Park, and others, Kenya becomes one of the most popular tourism destinations in Africa.

There are three cities in Kenya: Mombasa, Nairobi, and Kisumu. The capital Nairobi is found in central Kenya, Mombasa along coastal Kenya in the Indian Ocean, and lastly Kisumu, which is located on the shores of Lake Victoria. Other major towns are Nakuru, Eldoret, Lamu, Kitale, and others. Some of the largest cities are described below:

Mombasa city: This is the oldest capital city in Kenya; it is the business hub for Kenya, located in the far Southeast at the shores of the Indian Ocean. Mombasa is the biggest business hub in East and Central Africa. Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya after the capital Nairobi, with a population of over 1.5 million people according to the 2017 census.

The city is located in Mombasa County, and it is our regional cultural and economic hub with the largest port in Africa. It also has an international airport and the most beautiful beaches in Africa, hence making it the best tourism center for relaxation. Located on the coast of Kenya, Mombasa has the State House of Kenya. Mombasa is home to Africa’s largest seaport, called Kilindini Harbor.

Attractions in Mombasa City

Nicknamed the tourism destiny is, Mombasa has more tourist attractions found in the city. Below are the highlights of tourism points in the city of Mombasa.

Fort Jesus: Fort Jesus is found on Mombasa Island, designed by Giovanni Battista and Italian by nationality, in 1593 and 1956. In 2011, Fort Jesus was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
Beaches: Mombasa is home to the African top white beaches that are distributed from North to South of Mombasa along the Indian Ocean. The famous beaches include Diani Beach, Malindi, and Watamu, Lamu, to name a few.
Mombasa city: the Business city of Mombasa attracts more business tourists who come for the shopping and other business-related activities.

Nairobi City: The current capital city of Kenya is Nairobi City, referred to as “the green city in the sun”. Nairobi is the largest city in Kenya, and it is also the administrative capital of Kenya. The city was named after the Masaai word “Enkare Nairobi,” which means “cool water,” referring to the Nairobi River that runs through the city. Nairobi city has a population of 3.36 million according to the 2011 population census.

Nairobi city was founded in 1899 by the colonial authorities as a depot for the railway, which they used for constructing the Uganda Railway line. It gained city status and became the capital of Kenya in 1907, replacing Mombasa. It occupies 696 square kilometers at the edge of the East Great rift valley. Nairobi city is among the blessed few cities in Africa that have national parks inside the city. Nairobi National Park, located at the center of the city, is home to the African Big Four, with only Elephants missing from the park. Nairobi city is a tourism hub with more tourist attractions found in the city.

Being the main tourist hub for Kenya, Nairobi city is home to Kenya’s largest international airport, which is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, alongside Wilson Airport. This makes almost all the Kenya safaris start from Nairobi and end in Nairobi or Mombasa. The city also hosts numerous businesses and industries with more than 100 major international organizations and companies.

Nairobi city is divided into 5 main regions, those are Metropolitan, North Metro (Kiambu County), Southern Metro (Kajiado County), Eastern Metro (Machakos), and North Eastern Metro (Muranga County). Nairobi city is the second-largest African city with a growth rate of 4.1% annually. The capital city of Kenya is home to most of the regional headquarters of different international firms like Airtel, Google, General Electric, Coca-Cola, and others.

Nairobi city is gifted by nature and endowed with a wide range of tourist attractions like Nairobi National Park located inside the city, Museums like Nairobi National Museum, Monuments, and many more religious and historical sites.

Nairobi city remains one of the best cities in Africa, with much to offer to the guests who spend more or less days in Kenya.

Kisumu: Kisumu city is one of the cities in Kenya, and it is ranked the 3rd largest city after Nairobi city and Mombasa city, respectively. Kisumu city is located in the Western part of Kenya at the shores of Lake Victoria. The city offers fascinating attractions to the guests who visit the town. The city is made up of many outdoor pavilions. The key attraction in the city is the Kisumu Museum, found at the heart of the city.

Besides that, the Kanam Prehistoric site was found at the shores of Lake Victoria near Homa Mountain. It is an archaeological site which was gazetted in 1933. This was a place where Dr. Leaky discovered a human mandible fossil with Pleistocene fauna and tools.

Simbi Nyaima: This is a crater lake just a few kilometers away from the shores of Lake Victoria. It’s a historical place where the Luo pay more respect due to the legendary story of the lake. The lake got its name from the village name, which means “Sank”. The history is attached to the old woman who appeared at the king’s palace, where she was chased away, and another old woman took care of her. The lost old woman advised the host old woman to leave with all her family members, and as soon as they left, the whole village was attacked by a storm, and it all sank down.

The city also has more recreational activities around the shores of Lake Victoria. The Kenyan cities are better for both business and fan tourism.