Your first weeks in Nairobi - where to stay and what to do first

Do not sign a lease from abroad. Stay somewhere temporary for the first few weeks, learn the city and its traffic, and then choose where to live.

Where to stay at first

• Serviced apartments - a kitchen, cleaning, security and often a generator, with weekly or monthly rates. The best option for a month or more. Common in Kilimani, Westlands and Lavington.
• Short-term rentals through booking apps - flexible, but check reviews, security, water supply and backup power before paying.
• Hotels - easiest for the first few nights, especially if you arrive late.

Choose somewhere central to where you will work or look for housing, so you can view flats at different times of day.

A plan for the first fortnight

Days 1 and 2

• Buy a SIM and set up M-Pesa - see Phones and SIM cards
• Install Uber, Bolt or Little for getting around
• Save emergency numbers - see Safety

The first week

• Open an eCitizen account and start on your KRA PIN - see eCitizen, KRA PIN and IDs
• Visit neighbourhoods at rush hour - see Nairobi’s neighbourhoods and the map
• Try a matatu on a simple route with someone who knows it

The second week

• View flats and check water, power and security - see Finding housing
• Work out move-in costs - see the move-in cost calculator
• Open a bank account - see Opening a bank account
• Sort health cover - see Healthcare

Settling in

• Plan furnishing - see Setting up your home.
• Learn a few words - see Swahili for daily life.
• Meet people through work, sports clubs, running groups, places of worship and community groups - see Sport and fitness.

Next

• Moving to Nairobi
• Culture and etiquette