Nairobi
Nairobi (capital of Kenya)
Usage
Capital and largest city of Kenya, on a plateau about 1,700 m above sea level. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use). Spelled as in the title of the ki.wikipedia article.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Usage
Kenya's main international airport, about 15 km east of central Nairobi. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use). Named after Jomo Kenyatta, the first president.
Nairobi National Park
Usage
A wildlife park right next to the city; skyscrapers show on the skyline. Lions, rhinos and giraffes live there. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Karura Forest
Usage
A large forest reserve inside northern Nairobi, good for walking, cycling and visiting its waterfall. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Uhuru Park
Usage
A large park next to central Nairobi with a pond; busy with families on days off. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use). "Uhuru" is Swahili for "freedom"; mention it only when explaining the name.
Kenyatta International Convention Centre
Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC)
Usage
A tall round tower in central Nairobi, known by its short name KICC; the rooftop gives a view over the city. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Nairobi National Museum
Usage
A museum of Kenya's nature, history and culture, with human-origins fossils and displays on the country's peoples. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Giraffe Centre
Usage
In the Karen area on the edge of Nairobi; you can feed giraffes from a raised platform. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Karen Blixen Museum
Usage
A museum in the house where the Danish writer Karen Blixen lived. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Bomas of Kenya
Usage
A cultural centre with rebuilt traditional homesteads from across Kenya and song-and-dance shows. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Gikomba Market
Usage
A big market in eastern Nairobi, best known for second-hand clothes and everyday goods. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Westlands
Westlands (district of Nairobi)
Usage
A district in north-west Nairobi with many shops, restaurants and night spots. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Kiambu
Usage
A town just north-west of Nairobi and the seat of Kiambu County, surrounded by tea and coffee farms. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use). ki.wikipedia has an article of this name.
Limuru
Usage
A cool highland town north-west of Nairobi, known for tea growing. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Thika
Usage
An industrial town about 40 km north-east of Nairobi, also known for pineapple farms; Thika Road links it to the capital. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Ruiru
Usage
A town between Nairobi and Thika that has grown as a commuter suburb of the capital. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Gatundu
Usage
A town in Kiambu County, known as the home area of the first president, Kenyatta. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use). ki.wikipedia has an article of this name.
Murang'a
Usage
A town north of Nairobi and the seat of Murang'a County, one of the heartlands of the Kikuyu. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use). On signs the name is written with an apostrophe after "ng". "ng'" is the sound of English "sing" and differs from plain "ng".
Nyeri
Usage
A town at the foot of Mount Kenya and the Aberdares, seat of Nyeri County and a centre of the central highlands. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use). ki.wikipedia has an article on Nyeri.
Karatina
Usage
A town in Nyeri County, known for its big open-air market. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Nyahururu
Usage
One of Kenya's highest towns (about 2,300 m), near Thomson's Falls. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Nanyuki
Usage
A town at the western foot of Mount Kenya, almost on the equator, and a base for climbs and safaris. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Sagana
Usage
A town in Kirinyaga County where the roads toward Nyeri and Embu part. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Embu
Usage
A town at the eastern foot of Mount Kenya and the seat of Embu County. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use). ki.wikipedia has an article of this name.
Kĩrĩnyaga
Mount Kenya (Kikuyu name Kĩrĩnyaga)
Usage
To say the Kikuyu name. Not everyone will recognise it, so keep the English name Mount Kenya in mind too.
Grammar Note
Kenya's highest peak (5,199 m); Kikuyu tradition places the god Ngai on it. Signs usually say Mount Kenya. The Kikuyu name follows the ki.wikipedia title (both ĩ need their tilde); Benson 1964 also has a "kirinyaga" entry.
Mount Kenya National Park
Usage
The national park protecting the summit zone and surrounding forest, a World Heritage site with several climbing routes. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Aberdare National Park
Usage
A national park on the high moorland and forest of the Aberdare Range, known for waterfalls and wildlife. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Treetops Hotel
Usage
A lodge built on stilts in Aberdare National Park, from which guests watch animals at a waterhole. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Usage
A conservancy near Nanyuki, known for rhino protection and a chimpanzee sanctuary. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Lake Naivasha
Usage
A freshwater lake in the Rift Valley north-west of Nairobi; boat trips and hippos are the draw. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Hell's Gate National Park
Usage
A national park near Lake Naivasha where you can cycle and walk among cliffs and a gorge. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Kenyatta University
Usage
A large public university on the edge of Nairobi. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
Mombasa
Usage
Kenya's coastal second city, with a major port. Far from Nairobi, so you mention it as a destination. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use). ki.wikipedia has an article of this name.
Nakuru
Usage
A large town in the Rift Valley about 150 km north-west of Nairobi, home to Lake Nakuru National Park. To say where you are going, or to point at a name on a map or sign and ask.
Grammar Note
A proper name written as it appears on Kenyan signs and maps; no Kikuyu respelling was made (place names may contain letters such as l, s, p, f that native Kikuyu words do not use).
More Kikuyu phrases
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