Nairobi - Capital of Kenya, East Africa
By John Hacking
Nairobi, whose name means "cool river", is the largest and
fastest growin city in east Africa. Founded as a railway workers
encampment, the city is now home to over 3 million people.
This city of millions has an impressive skyline incorporating
several important buildings, including the striking Kenyatta
Conference Centre. From the observation deck on its 28th floor,
visitors look out on a marvellous panorama of city and
countryside. Nairobi is the cultural, economic and
communications centre of Kenya. The country's most important
institutions of higher learning are found here, and its tourist
industry continues to grow.
The role of the railway. Kenya's history is closely connected
to Britain's colonial railway projects in Africa. The site for
the railway encampment that became Nairobi was carefully chosen.
Nairobi lies at an altitude of 1,700 metres. This elevation
keeps Nairobi's average temperature too low for malarial
mosquitoes to survive.
When workers were hired for the Uganda Railway project to
connect Lake Victoria with the coastal port of Mombasa, they
were housed in Nairobi, which grew in importance after the
railway was completed in 1900. It is no surprise that there is a
Railway Museum in Nairobi today. It includes a diverse
collection of objects from the history of the railway, including
wonderful old photographs.
An international city. The modern city of Nairobi is the
economic linchpin of East Africa. International businesses and
organizations base their operations here, among them UNO (United
Nations Environment Program, UNEP) and UN HABITAT (United
Nations Human Settlements Program). With so many international
residents, it's little wonder that the restaurants in Nairobi
rival those in major European and American cities.
Rich and poor.
There are few places in the world where the contact and
contrast between extreme wealth and extreme poverty is as
glaring as in the Kenyan capital, though the severity of the
situation is rivalled in South African Johannesburg. Cynical
commentators call the city "Nairobbery" because of its high
crime rate. Accordingly, tourists are well advised only to leave
central Nairobi, where it is relatively safe to walk around, if
they are going on an official safari tour or driving back to the
airport.
The best of Nairobi.
The majority of tourists who visit Kenya see very little of
Nairobi. They usually go straight from the airport to the
countryside to set off on safari. In addition to stopping by the
popular Railway Museum, those who are interested in getting
acquainted with the city should definitely visit the National
Museum. Everything worth knowing about Kenya is on display,from
its abundant flora and fauna to the lifestyles and cultures of
its native peoples, in particular the Massai. The museum also
houses a delightful. exhibit of works by the artist Joy Adamson
(1910-1980). Adamson is best known for her book Born Free about
her rescue of the lioness Elsa. Her deep love for Africa is
vividly expressed in the exhibit.
Green Nairobi.
Moi Avenue begins not far from the Railway Museum and leads
directly into the centre of Nairobi. The central business
district is punctuated by two large green spaces, Uhuru Park and
Central Park. Both invite people to rest and relax under their
shady trees, sit on a bench or stroll along a gravel path. Uhuru
Park even has a small artificial lake. Environmentalist and 2004
Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai saved Uhuru Park from
development by organizing a series of locally and
internationally supported protests in 1989.
At safari's end. Anyone who returns to the Kenyan capital after
a week or two of the hard life on safari will appreciate the
amenities of Nairobi's full service, Western-style hotels.
Nairobi is ideally suited as a starting point for day trips and
tours to the country's spectacular national parks. Nairobi
National Park, the nation's first, is located only 8 km from
Nairobi. Founded in 1946, it has an area of approximately 120
square kilometres.
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