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Nairobi has many parks and open spaces throughout the city. Much of the city has dense tree-cover and plenty of green spaces.

The most famous park in Nairobi is Uhuru Park. The park borders the central business district and the neighbourhood Upper Hill. Uhuru (Freedom in Swahiliસ્વાહિલી) Park is a centre for outdoor speeches, services, and rallies. The park was to be built over by former President Daniel arap Moi, who wanted the 62-storey headquarters of his party, the Kenya African National Union, situated in the park.⁸⁶ However, the park was saved following a campaign by Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai.

Central Park is adjacent to Uhuru Park, and includes a memorial for Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of Kenya, and the Moi Monument, built in 1988 to commemorate the second president's first decade in power.

Both Uhuru Park and Central Park were renovated by the-then Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) together with the Kenya Defence Forces.⁸⁷ The process started in September 2023 and incorporates several key elements, including a cascading water feature, upgraded sanitation facilities, a skateboarding zone, and pedestrian-friendly paths.⁸⁸⁸⁹ It also highlights statues of native wildlife, carefully groomed lawns, thriving trees, improved footpaths, and expanded green zones.⁹⁰ A botanical section has been established as well, showcasing a diverse collection of flowers and plant species to reflect Kenya's abundant floral heritage.⁹¹⁹²⁹³

Jeevanjee Gardens is located within the Central Business District and is easily accessible via foot, private vehicles and public transport.⁹⁴ Among Nairobi's most historic and oldest public green spaces, the park was created in the early 20th century by Asian industrialist A.M. Jeevanjee.⁹⁵⁹⁶

The John Michuki Memorial Park is situated along the Nairobi River, stretching from Globe Cinema Roundabout to Museum Bridge. It was previously known as the Mazingira Park, and was reopened in August 2020 by President Uhuru Kenyatta after renovation by the Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).⁹⁷⁹⁸ The park is named in tribute to the late former Cabinet Minister John Michuki, who was instrumental in the restoration of the Nairobi River and its surroundings during his time as Minister for Environment.^99100101

Nairobi Arboretum, founded in 1907 by E. Batiscombe as a trial site for forestry tree species, is a 30-hectare botanical reserve that hosts more than 350 types of trees and functions as both a leisure destination and a research hub.¹⁰² It is located near the State House.¹⁰³

Karura Forest, the city-based nature reserve, features nature trails, picnic spots, caves and waterfalls. It is an excellent destination for birdwatching as the area is home to over 200 documented bird species. While strolling along the trails, visitors may also catch glimpses of monkeys and bushbucks.¹⁰⁴

Nairobi City Park, is located between Forest Road and Limuru Road. As one of Nairobi's oldest and most expansive urban green spaces, spanning over 60 hectares, City Park holds considerable ecological value. It preserves one of the last remaining patches of indigenous forest that once blanketed the region. The park is home to a rich array of biodiversity, including Sykes' monkeys, various bird species, and a wide assortment of native plant life.¹⁰⁵ City Park also carries historical weight, because it hosts cemeteries for veterans of World War I and II and is the final resting place of notable figures such as freedom fighter Pio Gama Pinto and former Vice President Joseph Murumbi, whose memorial garden is located within the park grounds.¹⁰⁶¹⁰⁷

Oloolua Nature Trail is situated in Oloolua Forest in the Karen area of Nairobi. It is under the management of Kenya Institute of Primate Research (KIPRE) and provides opportunities for nature walks, bird watching, and enjoying the natural environment.¹⁰⁸ Key attractions include a 37-meter deep natural cave that was historically used by Mau Mau fighters, a beautiful waterfall draining into the Mbagathi River, a bamboo resting point, and a papyrus swamp.¹⁰⁹

Ngong Road Forest Sanctuary contains winding walking and jogging paths that pass through tall trees inhabited by various bird species, with occasional sightings of Sykes monkeys. The area also includes a picnic site and a playground for children. Additionally, Ngong Road Forest has cycling trails that run beneath the indigenous tree canopy.¹¹⁰¹¹¹

Langata Botanical Gardens is a private recreational garden located along Langata South Road. The area comprises numerous native trees, expansive well-maintained lawns, and a lagoon inhabited by a diverse range of fish species.

Other private botanical gardens include Maarifa Park Botanical Garden, located in Kitisuru¹¹² and the Five Senses Botanical Gardens by Enaki, located in Nyari, Nairobi.¹¹³

Nairobi Botanical Gardens is located within the National Museum of Kenya. The Nairobi Botanical Gardens are organized into themed sections, each highlighting a particular conservation topic. For example, the Children's Garden focuses on botany and habitat, providing a space where visitors can learn about indigenous and exotic plants while enjoying open lawns and an outdoor amphitheatre. Other sections include the Grass Gardens, which showcase important food and beverage plants, the Herbal Garden dedicated to medicinal and food plants, the Succulent Gardens illustrating plant adaptations to arid environments, the Quarry Garden transformed from a former quarry, and the Memorial Garden commemorating World War II with symbolic plants and a water feature.¹¹⁴¹¹⁵

The August 7th Memorial Park is located at the site of the 1998 US Embassy bombing and features a green space that offers tranquility.¹¹⁶

The City of Nairobi has the status of a full administrative county.

Initially, Nairobi was one of the eight provinces in Kenya before 2013. The Nairobi province differed in several ways from other Kenyan regions. Nairobi Province was not divided into "districts" until 2007, when three districts were created. In 2010, along with the new constitution, Nairobi was renamed a county and consolidated into a city-county. The county is entirely urban. It had only one local council, Nairobi City Council, which was replaced by Nairobi City Countyનૈરોબી કાઉન્ટી after the new constitution was effected in March 2013.

Nairobi County has 17 constituencies. Constituency name may differ from division name, such that Starehe Constituency is equal to Central Division, Lang'ata Constituency to Kibera division, and Kamukunji Constituency to Pumwani Division in terms of boundaries.

As of 2026, Nairobi City has an estimated population of 4,978,028, making it Kenya's most populous city, while its metropolitan area has an estimated population of 15.95 million. Its population grew from 509,286 in 1969 to 4,397,073 in 2019¹²⁰ an 8.63-fold increase. In 2019, it accounted for 9.24% of Kenya's population and 29.64% of its urban population. With 1,506,888 households it had an average household size of 2.9 persons making Nairobi to have the smallest average household size in Kenya. Its population density stood at 6,247 people per km² making it the most densely populated county in Kenyaકેન્યા.¹²¹ Nairobi has a relatively youthful demographic structure, with a median age of approximately 23 years, 68.3% of residents aged 15–64 and 47.5% aged 15–35. Its total fertility rate was 2.6 children per woman in 2022. Life expectancy at birth is 63.90 years (62.6 for males and 65.2 for females), ranking 18th among Kenya's 47 counties.¹²²

Religion

According to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, Christianity is the predominant religion in Nairobi City, accounting for approximately 87.64% of the population. Protestants form the largest religious group, with 1,358,985 adherents (30.91%), followed by Catholics at 1,041,619 (23.69%) and Evangelical Christians at 897,741 (20.42%). Other Christian denominations include African Instituted Churches (307,019), Orthodox Christians (23,160) and other Christian groups (225,003). Islam is the second-largest religion, comprising 326,809 adherents (7.43%), followed by Hinduism with 38,141 (0.87%). Additionally, 54,841 people (1.25%) identified as atheists or having no religious affiliation, while 7,029 practised traditional African religions. Smaller communities belonging to other religious groups are also present in the county.¹²⁰

Nairobi is the African Great Lakes region's sporting centre. Notable annual events staged in Nairobi include Safari Rally, Safari Sevens rugby union tournament, and Nairobi Marathon.

The places of worship are predominantly Christian churches and temples: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi (Catholic Church), Anglican Church of Kenya (Anglican Communion), Presbyterian Church of East Africa (World Communion of Reformed Churches), Baptist Convention of Kenya (Baptist World Alliance), and Assemblies of God.¹⁴⁶ There are also Muslim mosques including Jamia Mosque.

The majority of schools follow the Kenyan Competence Based Education (CBE). Nairobi Innovation Week (NIW) is an annual that was started in 2015. It is organized by the University of Nairobi and in collaboration with government agencies. It focuses on partnerships, innovations, incubation, and startups. It promotes an entrepreneurial culture. It is an event for local and international innovators to showcase innovations, and to network.¹⁴⁷¹⁴⁸

Higher education

Nairobi is home to several Universities and Colleges.

• The University of Nairobi is the largest and oldest university in Kenya. It was established in 1956, as part of the University of East Africa, but became an independent university in 1970. The university has approximately 84,000 students.¹⁴⁹
• Kenyatta University is situated 16 km (9.9 mi) from Nairobi on the Nairobi road Thika dual carriageway on 450 hectares (1,100 acres) of land. The university was chartered in 1985, offering mainly education-related courses, but has since diversified, offering medicine, environmental studies, engineering, law, business, statistics, agriculture, and economics. It has a student body of about 32,000, the bulk of whom (17,000) are in the main campus. It is one of the fastest-growing public universities.
• Strathmore University started in 1961 as an Advanced Level (UK) Sixth Form College offering Science and Arts subjects. The college started to admit accountancy students in March 1966, and thus became a university. In January 1993, Strathmore College merged with Kianda College and moved to Ole Sangale Road, Madaraka Estate, Nairobi.
• United States International University – Nairobi was originally a branch of the United States International University, but became a fully autonomous university in 2005. It was first established in 1969. The university has accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, in the US, and the Government of Kenya. It is located in a quiet west side location of Roysambu area north-central Nairobi opposite the Safari Park Hotel.
• In 2005, The Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi was upgraded to a health sciences teaching hospital, providing post graduate education in medicine and surgery including nursing education, henceforth renamed the Aga Khan University Hospital.
• The Catholic University of Eastern Africa located in Lang'ata suburb, obtained its "Letter of Interim Authority" in 1989. Following negotiations between the Authority of the Graduate School of Theology and the Commission for Higher Education (CHIEA), the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences was established three years later, culminating in the granting of the Civil Charter to CHIEA on 3 November 1992.
• The Technical University of Kenya (formerly Kenya Polytechnic) is the only Technical University in the country. Established in 1961 as the Kenya Technical Institute, the university was chartered by Mwai Kibaki in 2013 to become an independent institution of higher learning (It was previously a constituent college of the University of Nairobi). It offers highly technical degree courses in three faculties: Engineering and Built Environment, Applied Sciences and Technologies, and Social Sciences and Technologies.
• KCA University (formerly the Kenya College of Accountancy), located in Ruaraka.
• Pan African Christian University is located along Lumumba Drive, Roysambu.
• East Africa Institute of Certified Studies (well known as ICS College) is located at Stanbank House with branches in Mombasa and Kisumu.
• Compugoal College
• Pioneer International University in Ngara.
• Riara University on Mbagathi road.
• Multimedia University of Kenya
• Daystar university
• Africa International University
• Cooperative university of Kenya Islamic University of Kenya

Numerous other universities have opened satellite campuses in Nairobi. The Railways Training Institute established in 1956, is a notable institution of higher learning with a campus in Nairobi.

Crime levels and safety have very much improved in Nairobi over recent years. Violent crime is rare but petty crime can still be an issue. In general, petty crime in Nairobi mostly involves pickpocketing and theft, and on rare occasions can be confrontational. Although there have been a handful of isolated attacks in Kenya by Al Shabaab from neighbouring Somalia, these incidences are rare.¹⁶⁴

Nairobi is home to most of Kenya's news and media organisations. The city is also home to the region's largest newspapers: the Daily Nation and The Standard. These are circulated within Kenya and cover a range of domestic and regional issues. Both newspapers are published in English. People Daily is also the leading free newspaper distributed on the streets of Nairobi. It is published by Mediamax Limited.

Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, a state-run television and radio station, is headquartered in the city. Kenya Television Network is part of the Standard Group and was Kenya's first privately owned TV station. The Nation Media Group runs NTV which is based in Nairobi, The Royal Media Services (RMS). There are also a number of prominent radio stations located in Kenya's capital including Citizen radio, Inooro fm, KISS 100, Capital FM, East FM, Kameme FM, Metro FM, and Family FM, among others.

Several multinational media organisations have their regional headquarters in Nairobi. These include the BBC, CNN, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Deutsche Welle, and the Associated Press. The East African bureau of CNBC Africa is located in Nairobi's city centre, while the Nairobi bureau of The New York Times is located in the suburb of Gigiri. The broadcast headquarters of CCTV Africa are located in Nairobi.¹⁶⁵

• Ishmael Awange (born 1989), basketball player
• Marylize Biubwa, intersectional feminist and activist¹⁶⁶
• Dvora Bochman (born 1950), Israeli artist, painter, sculptor, graphic designer and art educator
• Elsa Conrad (1887–1963), German businesswoman and night club entrepreneur
• Richard Dawkins (born 1941), British evolutionary biologist
• Roshanara Ebrahim (born 1993), TV host, model, author and beauty pageant titleholder
• Chris Froome (born 1985), born in Nairobi, British professional cyclist 4x Tour de France winner
• Edi Gathegi (born 1979), actor
• Fena Gitu (born 1991), rapper
• Polly Irungu, photographer and journalist
• Pamela Jelimo (born 1989), Olympic champion runner
• Wanuri Kahiu (born 1980), film director, producer, and author
• Mike Kirkland (born 1947), rally driver
• Mary Douglas Leakey (1913–1996), paleoanthropologist
• Richard Erskine Frere Leakey (1944–2022), paleoanthropologist, conservationist and politician
• Prosper Masatu Makonya, Tanzanian sportsperson
• Susan Murabana, astronomer
• Alice Wairimu Nderitu (born 1968), human rights activist, and United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide to UN Secretary-General
• Nuni Omot (born 1994), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Dorothy Ooko, activist and technology professional
• Aaron Rimbui (born 1979), pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, producer, festival curator, and radio host¹⁶⁷
• Njeri Rionge (1966–2023) , technology entrepreneur who was a co-founder of the Internet Service Provider (ISP) Wananchi Online Limited (WOL)
• Johnny Rozsa, photographer
• Israel Somen (1903–1984), Mayor of Nairobi
• Jonathan Somen (born 1969), co-founder of Access Kenya Group
• Abdi Salim (born 2001), Somali footballer
• Carl Tundo (born 1973), rally driver
• Jeremy Wahome (born 1998), racing driver
• McDonald Mariga Wanyama (born 1987), politician and retired footballer
• Victor Wanyama (born 1991), footballer

Rise and Fall of Idi Amin, also referred to as Amin: The Rise and Fall, is a 1981 biographical film by Sharad Patel. The movie details the controversial actions and atrocities of the once dictator of Uganda, Idi Amin, in the time of his violent rise to power in 1971 until he descends in 1979 as the result of Uganda–Tanzania uprising. The movie depicts some of the roles Nairobi as the political hub of Kenya served in opposing the Ugandan dictator, including the coordination between Tel Aviv and Nairobi during operation Entebe.

In 2012, a Kenyan drama film directed by David "Tosh" Gitonga named Nairobi Half Life came to the big screen. The film was selected as the Kenyan entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards, but did not make the final shortlist, and is the first time Kenya has submitted a film in this category.¹⁶⁸

Nairobi inspired the nicknaming of the character Ágata Jiménez as 'Nairobi'; a fictional character in the Netflix series Money Heist, portrayed by Alba Flores. She serves as the quality manager of the group, in charge of printing money in the Royal Mint of Spain in parts 1 and 2, and overseeing the melting of gold in the Bank of Spain in parts 3 and 4. She is widely considered to be the show's most popular character.¹⁶⁹