Nairobi, Kenya Summary

photo by gusto

NAIROBI is one of Africa’s major cities: the UN’s fourth “World Centre”, East Africa’s commercial and aid hub, and a significant capital in its own right, with a population of between a million and a half and three million, depending on how big an area you include. As a traveller, your first impressions are likely to depend on how – and where – you arrive. Coming here overland, some time resting up among the fleshpots can seem a pleasant proposition. Newly arrived by air from Europe, though, you may wonder – amid the rash of signs for California Cookies, Wimpy and Oriental Massage – just how far you’ve travelled. Nairobi, just a century old in 1999, has real claims to Western-style sophistication but, as you’ll soon find, it lacks a convincing heart. Apart from some lively musical attractions – some of East Africa’s busiest clubs and best bands – there’s little here of magnetic appeal, and most travellers stay long enough only to take stock, make some travel arrangements and maybe visit the National Museum, before moving on.