Kenya's cities at a glance
Dots sized by population · Nairobi in orange
Kenya has 3 cities with more than a million inhabitants and 28 with more than 100,000 (city-proper figures). The largest is Nairobi with 4,397,073 people, followed by Kakamega (1,867,579) and Mombasa (1,208,333). The three largest cities together hold about 12.7% of the country's 59 million people.
The capital, Nairobi, is also the largest city.
By region, the most large cities are in Kiambu County (6), Kajiado County (3), Nairobi County (2).
Country-level figures — live population, births and deaths, growth, density and history — are on the Kenya population page; provinces, terrain, rivers and society maps are in the Kenya atlas.
Kenya cities by population
| # | City | Region | Population | Share of Kenya |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NairobiCapital | Nairobi County | 4,397,073 | 7.5% |
| 2 | Kakamega | Kakamega County | 1,867,579 | 3.2% |
| 3 | Mombasa | Mombasa County | 1,208,333 | 2% |
| 4 | Nakuru | Nakuru County | 570,674 | 1% |
| 5 | Ruiru | Kiambu County | 490,120 | 0.8% |
| 6 | Eldoret | Uasin Gishu County | 475,716 | 0.8% |
| 7 | Kisumu | Kisumu County | 397,957 | 0.7% |
| 8 | Kikuyu | Kiambu County | 323,881 | 0.5% |
| 9 | Thika | Nairobi County | 251,407 | 0.4% |
| 10 | Naivasha | Nakuru County | 198,444 | 0.3% |
| 11 | Karuri | Kiambu County | 194,342 | 0.3% |
| 12 | Karuri | Murang'A | 194,342 | 0.3% |
| 13 | Matuga | Kwale County | 194,252 | 0.3% |
| 14 | Mwala | Machakos County | 181,896 | 0.3% |
| 15 | Ongata Rongai | Kajiado County | 172,569 | 0.3% |
| 16 | Jomvu | Mombasa County | 163,415 | 0.3% |
| 17 | Garissa | Garissa County | 163,399 | 0.3% |
| 18 | Kitale | Trans Nzoia | 162,174 | 0.3% |
| 19 | Limuru | Kiambu County | 159,314 | 0.3% |
| 20 | Juja | Kiambu County | 156,041 | 0.3% |
| 21 | Kitengela | Kajiado County | 154,436 | 0.3% |
| 22 | Kiambu | Kiambu County | 147,870 | 0.3% |
| 23 | Mlolongo | Machakos County | 136,351 | 0.2% |
| 24 | Malindi | Kilifi County | 119,859 | 0.2% |
| 25 | Mandera | Mandera County | 114,718 | 0.2% |
| 26 | Khwisero | Kakamega County | 113,294 | 0.2% |
| 27 | Kisii | Kisii County | 112,417 | 0.2% |
| 28 | Ngong | Kajiado County | 102,323 | 0.2% |
| 29 | Mtwapa | Kilifi County | 90,677 | 0.2% |
| 30 | Wajir | Wajir County | 90,116 | 0.2% |
Cities with 300,000 or more people link to their own page. The list keeps every city of 100,000+ and at least the 30 largest places of the country.
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest city in Kenya?
Nairobi, with about 4,397,073 inhabitants (city proper).
What is the capital of Kenya?
Nairobi — population 4,397,073, the largest city in the country.
How many cities in Kenya have over one million people?
3: Nairobi, Kakamega, Mombasa.
Are these metropolitan-area populations?
No. They are city-proper figures (the administrative city) from GeoNames, based on the latest census or official estimate. Metropolitan areas, which include suburbs and satellite towns, are larger — often several times larger for the biggest cities.
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UgandaCite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Largest Cities in Kenya 2026: Population Ranking. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/kenya/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/kenya/">Largest Cities in Kenya 2026: Population Ranking</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.