Kibera is a division and neighbourhood of Nairobi, Kenya, 6.6 kilometres (4.1 mi) from the city centre. Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, and the largest urban slum in Africa. The 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census reports Kibera's population as 170,070, contrary to previous estimates of one or two million people. Other sources suggest the total Kibera population may be 500,000 to well over 1,000,000 depending on which slums are included in defining Kibera.
A view of Kibera
Dwellings in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya c. 2008
Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2005. It is the largest slum in Africa and the third largest in the world.
Kibera slum was established in early 20th century, and has grown ever since on public lands, around water streams and railway tracks. Its current residents are people from all major ethnic groups of Kenya.
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nairobi, which translates to 'place of cool waters', a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper had a population of 4,397,073 in the 2019 census. The Greater Nairobi Metropolitan Area has a population of about 7,000,000 people. The city is commonly referred to as The Green City in the Sun.
Clockwise from top: central business district; a giraffe walking in Nairobi National Park; Parliament of Kenya; Nairobi City Hall; and the Kenyatta International Convention Centre
Nairobi in 1899
Entrance to Nairobi railway station in 1899
Nairobi in 1973
