Trek Cities - Nairobi
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Nairobi KENYA Overview |
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Director Heidi Williams |
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Nairobi got its name form a Massai word "Nyarobe" which means "The Place of Cool Waters' due to the presence of the Nairobi river which was used as a watering place for the Massai's cattle. The main commercial and official area lies almost entirely within the central block: with the University Way - Koinange street - Haile Selassie Ave - Tom Mboya Street quadrangle. Over the decades since Independence mass housing estates have pushed outwards to the east and south . South of the railway lies in the Industrial Area. This has been the scene of some of the fastest growth in terms of acreage since the sixties. It is a busy thriving area with factories of all shapes, sizes and functions. Growth in this sector of Nairobi has been phenomenal.
Between 1962 and 1979 Nairobi's population grew from 266,700 to 800,00. Now it is approximately 2.5 million. Nairobi is a hybrid. The diversity of peoples who live in the city include: Kenyan Africans, Asians (used to refer to those whose families came originally from India or Pakistan but also loosely refers to Hindus, Muslims, Jains, Goans, Sikhs, Christians, Ismailis, Parsees), European (anyone with European ancestry), Somalis, Ethiopians,Nandi's, Kikuyu's, Kamba's, Nubian's (from N. Uganda) and Wabenzi's. Thus, Nairobi is a multi-tribal, multi-ethnic, international conglomeration.
Among the more affluent echelons of society, the people of Nairobi mix freely and easily. Kenya has forty-five or so different tribes, most of whom contribute at least a small amount to Nairobi's population. The Asian group is substanital and dominates the retail and general commercial sector with a fair number in the industrial sector as well.
Additionally, 97 countries of the world send representatives to Kenya, creating the largest diplomatic corps in black Africa. The World Bank and UN have important regional centres in Nairobi, and the city is global headquarters of UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and HABITAT (United Nations Commitment for Human Settlement). International news agencies as well as freelance journalist are found in profusion.
Kiswahili is basically Bantu with a very significant Arabic influence. Pure Kiswahili is spoken at the coast and Nairobi's version, with its many Anglicanisms is known as 'up country' Kiswahili. Kenya's official language is English and is used widely.
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