Most of daily life in Nairobi is uneventful. The risks are real, though, and people who live here manage them with habits rather than fear. The biggest danger, statistically, is the road.

Emergency numbers

  • Police, fire, ambulance: 999, or 112 from any mobile.
  • Kenya Red Cross: 1199.

Save the number of your building’s security, a private ambulance service and your embassy too.

Everyday habits

  • Phones. Snatching is the most common crime. Do not walk along a road holding your phone out, and keep it away from open car and matatu windows.
  • Bags. Carry them on the side away from the road, and zip them. In crowds, keep them in front of you.
  • Cars. Keep windows up and doors locked in slow traffic, with valuables out of sight. See Driving in Nairobi.
  • Cash. Use ATMs inside banks and malls. Pay with M-Pesa or card where you can.

At night

  • Use ride-hailing rather than walking, even for short distances, and especially in the CBD.
  • Check the car and driver match the app, and share the trip.
  • Avoid boda bodas at night.

At home

Most apartment blocks and compounds have an askari at the gate, and many have an alarm linked to a response company. Get to know the guards, tell them who you are expecting, and do not let anyone in who claims to be from a utility or the landlord without checking.

Scams

  • Mobile money - fake “sent by mistake” messages and callers pretending to be Safaricom. See M-Pesa.
  • Rentals - deposits for flats that do not exist. See Finding housing.
  • Street approaches - someone who “recognises you from your hotel”, a student with a sponsorship story, or a stranger who needs help urgently. Politely keep walking.
  • Fake officials - anyone demanding cash for a permit or a fine without an official receipt.

If something happens

See Reporting a crime and lost documents for the OB number, police abstracts and replacing documents.

Protests

Demonstrations happen, often in the CBD and sometimes at short notice. They can turn violent and roads close. Follow local news and social media, and stay away from the CBD when a protest is announced.

Being a visitor

Check your own government’s travel advice, which covers areas of the country it advises against visiting, and register with your embassy if it offers that.

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