Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, is also the capital of East Africa in many ways. It is the financial and business center, as well as a transportation and communications crossroad. With well over one million inhabitants and growing rapidly, Nairobi has benefited greatly from Kenya's overall stability on a continent known mainly for its lack of stability. As the largest city between Cairo and Johannesburg and the UN's fourth "World Center", Nairobi is an often frantic mix of businessmen, diplomats, tourists, and locals.

Nairobi's history is relatively uninteresting, especially when compared to coastal areas like Mombasa or Lamu, which date back much further in history. Nairobi originated in 1899 as a supply station for the expansion of the railroad as it moved into the interior of Kenya. The name "Nairobi" came from Ewaso Nairobi ("stream of cold water"), which was the Maasai name for the valley.

After an outbreak of plague, the town was rebuilt and firmly established. It became the capital of British East Africa in 1907 and quickly filled with Europeans. It has continued growing and retained its status as a commercial center since that time.