What's in season in Nairobi

What is plentiful in Nairobi this month, what is coming and what to wait for - fruit, vegetables, staples, meat, milk and fish. Nairobi grows little of its own food, so its seasons are those of the farms, lake and coast that feed it, and they follow two rains.

Fruit, vegetables and staples

  • Maize cobs, the grain dried on them, spread out in the sun

    Maize

    January to February and July to August, best July and August

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    Long rains March to April; short rains October to November.
    Harvest
    In the highlands the long-rains crop comes in from July to August and the short-rains crop in January and February.
    In Nairobi
    Kenya's staple, eaten as ugali. Nairobi's flour is milled from maize grown across the Rift Valley and the highlands, and imports.
    At the market
    Roast green maize at the roadside is a harvest-season food. Flour is on the shelf all year, and its price follows the harvests.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [2] [3] [4]

    Photo: Geossegawa, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A sack of Irish potatoes at a market

    Irish potatoes

    All year, best July to September

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    With both rains, three to four months before harvest.
    Harvest
    A glut from July to September in Nyandarua, when prices fall to their lowest. They are scarce and dear from about December to April.
    In Nairobi
    Chips, mukimo and githeri all depend on them. Most of Nairobi's come from Nyandarua and the Rift highlands.
    At the market
    Buy in July to September, when a bag is cheapest. Sellers often switch to smaller tins in the scarce months, so compare by weight.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [7] [8] [25]

    Photo: Owobusingye, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Red kidney beans for sale in a wooden tray

    Beans

    January to February and July to August

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    Sown with maize in both rains, often in the same field.
    Harvest
    With the maize, July to August and January to February.
    In Nairobi
    The bean in githeri, with maize, and in a hundred stews.
    At the market
    Dried beans keep for months, so a bag bought after a harvest lasts.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [2] [3]

    Photo: David E Mead, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A scatter of small green mung beans

    Green grams (ndengu)

    November to January

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    In the short rains, in the drier east - Machakos, Makueni, Kitui - where the short rains are the main season.
    Harvest
    November to January, with cowpeas and other pulses.
    In Nairobi
    Ndengu stew is a staple of Nairobi's kibandas and cheap lunches.
    At the market
    Dried grams keep well; fresh stocks reach markets after the new year.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [3]

    Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A pile of sweet potatoes at a market

    Sweet potatoes

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    In the rains, from vine cuttings.
    Harvest
    About four to five months after planting, and through the year.
    In Nairobi
    A breakfast staple, boiled, with tea.
    At the market
    On sale most of the year. Choose firm roots without soft patches.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [2]

    Photo: Samsule2, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A truss of ripe red tomatoes

    Tomatoes

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    All year under irrigation, and in the rains.
    Harvest
    All year. Gluts follow the rainy-season harvests and prices rise in the off season, but sources disagree on which months.
    In Nairobi
    Much of Nairobi's supply comes from Mwea and Loitokitok. The average retail price held around Sh63 a kilo in 2025, then reached Sh108 in April 2026 after floods there.
    At the market
    Prices can triple within weeks. When they are low, a crate shared with neighbours or cooked down into sauce stretches the season.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [9] [10]

    Photo: Softeis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Red, white and brown onions together

    Onions

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    In the rains and under irrigation.
    Harvest
    All year, from many counties and from imports.
    In Nairobi
    Red onions are in almost every Kenyan dish, raw in kachumbari.
    At the market
    Onions store for weeks in a dry, airy place, so buy when the price dips.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [2]

    Photo: Colin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Heads of cabbage stacked for sale

    Cabbage

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    All year in the cool highlands.
    Harvest
    All year.
    In Nairobi
    One of the cheapest vegetables in Nairobi, grown in the highlands around it.
    At the market
    Heavy for its size and tightly packed means fresh.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [2]

    Photo: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A bundle of carrots with their green tops

    Carrots

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    All year in the cool highlands.
    Harvest
    All year.
    In Nairobi
    Grown on the slopes around Nairobi and the Rift.
    At the market
    Carrots with fresh green tops were pulled most recently.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [2]

    Photo: Evan-Amos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Sukuma wiki, finely chopped and cooked in a pan

    Sukuma wiki (kale)

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    All year; leaves are picked from the same plant for months.
    Harvest
    All year, faster in the rains.
    In Nairobi
    Its name means "push the week" - the cheapest green in the city and the one most often served with ugali. Grown in Kiambu and on plots across Nairobi.
    At the market
    Buy it the day you cook it. Wilting leaves mean it was picked days ago.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [22]

    Photo: Nana Pearls, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A bowl of cooked managu

    Managu (African nightshade)

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    In the rains, and all year where watered.
    Harvest
    All year where irrigated; most plentiful in the rains.
    In Nairobi
    A traditional vegetable, slightly bitter, now sold in supermarkets as well as markets. Often cooked with cream or milk.
    At the market
    Young, tender shoots are less bitter.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [22]

    Photo: Mmaua1, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A bowl of cooked amaranth leaves

    Terere (amaranth)

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    In the rains, and all year where watered.
    Harvest
    All year where irrigated; most plentiful in the rains.
    In Nairobi
    A traditional green, cooked with managu or on its own.
    At the market
    It cooks down a lot - buy twice what looks like enough.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [22]

    Photo: Queen Asali, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A whole mango and a halved one

    Mangoes

    November to March, best December to February

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    A tree; flowering follows the dry spells.
    Harvest
    The main season runs from about November to March, peaking from December to February. Coast fruit comes first; Murang'a and Mwea are four to six weeks later, and the coast has a second season from June to August.
    In Nairobi
    Mango season is when roadside vendors sell sliced mango with chilli and salt. Makueni growers irrigate and prune for fruit in the low season.
    At the market
    Cheapest in January and February, at the peak. Out of season, it is Makueni's or imported.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [11] [12] [13]

    Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A whole avocado and a halved one with its stone

    Avocados

    Season not confirmed

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    A tree; Hass and Fuerte are the main varieties.
    Harvest
    Sources disagree: some give a main season from about March to August and a second from October to December, others different months, and the export season is not the market's.
    In Nairobi
    Kenya is one of the world's big avocado exporters, and local fruit - Murang'a's especially - is cheap in season. No window for Nairobi's markets could be confirmed, so no months are shown.
    At the market
    Ask the seller when they will be ripe; most are sold hard.

    The sources disagree or none was found, so no months are shown. Sources: [14] [15]

    Photo: B.navez, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Bunches of several kinds of banana

    Bananas

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    A perennial; bunches ripen through the year.
    Harvest
    All year.
    In Nairobi
    Sweet bananas to eat and green cooking bananas (matoke) for stews, from Kisii, Meru, Murang'a and Kirinyaga.
    At the market
    Cooking bananas are sold green, by the bunch or a few fingers at a time.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [2]

    Photo: TimothyPilgrim, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Oranges, whole, halved and in segments

    Oranges

    Season not confirmed

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    A tree.
    Harvest
    Sources disagree: March to August, June to August, or with the dry seasons. No window could be confirmed.
    In Nairobi
    Sold year round from carts, often peeled and sliced to eat on the street.
    At the market
    Ask your seller what is coming in this week.

    The sources disagree or none was found, so no months are shown. Sources: [19] [26] [27]

    Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A whole pineapple and slices of it

    Pineapples

    Season not confirmed

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    Grown around Thika, Murang'a and Nyeri.
    Harvest
    Sources disagree: July to April, April to June, or the short rains. No window could be confirmed.
    In Nairobi
    Sold whole or sliced on sticks from street carts.
    At the market
    A sweet smell at the base is a better guide than the colour.

    The sources disagree or none was found, so no months are shown. Sources: [19] [26] [27]

    Photo: Suniltg at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A pawpaw cut lengthways, showing its seeds

    Pawpaw (papaya)

    Season not confirmed

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    A fast-growing tree, fruiting within a year.
    Harvest
    Sources disagree: August to October, the short rains, or all year. No window could be confirmed.
    In Nairobi
    Breakfast fruit, often with lime.
    At the market
    Choose ones that give a little when pressed and are mostly yellow.

    The sources disagree or none was found, so no months are shown. Sources: [19] [26] [27]

    Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A purple passion fruit cut open

    Passion fruit

    Season not confirmed

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    A vine, grown in the highlands.
    Harvest
    Sources disagree: August to December, the long rains, or December to April. No window could be confirmed.
    In Nairobi
    The purple kind, for juice above all.
    At the market
    Wrinkled skins are riper and sweeter, not old.

    The sources disagree or none was found, so no months are shown. Sources: [19] [26] [27]

    Photo: Alexander Klink, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Watermelons growing in a field

    Watermelon

    Season not confirmed

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    Grown in the hot, semi-arid areas.
    Harvest
    Mainly in the hot dry seasons; sources give no agreed months.
    In Nairobi
    Sliced and sold by the piece in the hot months.
    At the market
    A creamy yellow patch where it lay on the ground means it ripened on the vine.

    The sources disagree or none was found, so no months are shown. Sources: [19] [26] [27]

    Photo: Fred Hsu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Tamarillos, whole and halved

    Tree tomatoes

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Planting
    A small highland tree that fruits for years.
    Harvest
    Through the year, from highland gardens.
    In Nairobi
    Blended into juice, sharp and sweet.
    At the market
    Ripe fruit is deep red and gives slightly to a press.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [2]

    Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Livestock and fish

  • A cow lying in a meadow

    Beef

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Raised
    Raised all year, mostly on the rangelands and by traders who fatten animals near the city.
    Supply
    All year. Drought brings distress sales and cheap animals, then dearer meat as herds rebuild; Christmas demand pushes prices up.
    In Nairobi
    Nyama choma - grilled meat - is Nairobi's celebration food, and beef and goat are its staples.
    At the market
    Order early before Christmas, when everybody else does.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [20] [21] [23]

    Photo: Kim Hansen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A goat standing on a tree stump

    Goat and mutton

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Raised
    Raised all year, mostly in the drier counties.
    Supply
    All year. Prices rise towards Christmas and Eid, with exports pulling animals away.
    In Nairobi
    Kiamaiko is Nairobi's goat market. Goat is the nyama choma meat of choice, and a whole goat is a party.
    At the market
    Book a goat for Christmas early; prices have doubled within two months before the holidays.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [20] [21]

    Photo: Kuebi = Armin Kübelbeck, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A cockerel and a hen perched side by side

    Chicken and eggs

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Raised
    Raised all year, including inside the city.
    Supply
    All year. Demand peaks at Christmas and Easter.
    In Nairobi
    Kienyeji (free-range indigenous) chicken costs more than broilers and is prized for flavour. Many small poultry farms ring the city.
    At the market
    For kienyeji chicken at Christmas, order ahead.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [23]

    Photo: Andrei Niemimäki from Turku, Finland, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A man milking a cow in Murang'a county

    Milk

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Raised
    Dairy cows, mostly on small farms in the central highlands and the Rift Valley.
    Supply
    All year, but deliveries fall in the cold, dry months - June to August - and recover when the short rains bring pasture back.
    In Nairobi
    In 2026 deliveries to processors fell from 84.4 million litres in June to 81.3 million in July, and some Nairobi shops rationed packets.
    At the market
    Long-life milk is the steadier buy when fresh milk is short.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [5] [6] [29]

    Photo: Maina Pat Mbae, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A Nile tilapia

    Tilapia

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Raised
    From Lake Victoria and from fish farms.
    Supply
    All year.
    In Nairobi
    Fried whole and eaten with ugali and greens - the classic fish meal in Nairobi.
    At the market
    Ask whether it is from the lake or farmed; both are sold, and imports too.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [17]

    Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A tray of dried omena, small silver fish

    Omena

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Raised
    Caught in Lake Victoria and dried in the sun.
    Supply
    A legal notice closes the fishery from 1 April to 31 July each year, though how strictly that is enforced is not clear. Dried omena keeps, so it is on sale all year.
    In Nairobi
    Cheap protein, fried with tomatoes and onions.
    At the market
    Stock up on dried omena before April if the closed season pushes prices up.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [17] [18]

    Photo: VickyOmondi, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A fishmonger at work in Mombasa's fish market

    Sea fish

    All year, best November to March

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Raised
    Artisanal and sport fishing off the coast.
    Supply
    Catches are best in the calm kaskazi monsoon, about November to March, and poorest from April to July, when the kusi makes the sea rough.
    In Nairobi
    Most sea fish on Nairobi's tables is trucked up from Mombasa and the coast.
    At the market
    Fresh sea fish is easiest to find in the kaskazi months.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [16] [28]

    Photo: Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Nile perch hanging at a landing site

    Nile perch

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Nairobi
    Raised
    Caught in Lake Victoria.
    Supply
    All year.
    In Nairobi
    Sold as fillets and steaks; much of the catch is exported.
    At the market
    Its fillets are firm and white, and the fish is often sold in steaks.

    A typical window, from Kenya's two rainy seasons and general Kenyan crop calendars, not from Nairobi market records. Sources: [17]

    Photo: Faintsmoke, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The whole year

Every item across the twelve months. Full green marks the best months, muted green the months it is on sale, and hatched rows have no confirmed season.

Item JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Maize
Irish potatoes
Beans
Green grams (ndengu)
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes
Onions
Cabbage
Carrots
Sukuma wiki (kale)
Managu (African nightshade)
Terere (amaranth)
Mangoes
Avocados
Bananas
Oranges
Pineapples
Pawpaw (papaya)
Passion fruit
Watermelon
Tree tomatoes
Beef
Goat and mutton
Chicken and eggs
Milk
Tilapia
Omena
Sea fish
Nile perch

The rains set the calendar

Nairobi has two rainy seasons: the long rains from March to May, heaviest in April with about 125 to 136 mm, and the short rains from October to December, heaviest in November. June to September is dry and cool - July is the coolest month, around 17°C on average - and January and February are dry and warm, February around 21°C. About 674 to 698 mm falls in a year. The highland farms around the city plant with both rains, so most crops come in twice.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

The year on the farms that feed Nairobi

January to February
Hot and dry, February the warmest month of the year. The short-rains harvest comes in from the highlands - maize and beans - and pulses from the drier east. Mangoes are at their peak. On the coast the calm kaskazi monsoon makes it the best stretch for sea fish, and potatoes are scarce and dear.
March to May
The long rains, heaviest in April. The main planting: maize, beans and potatoes go in across the highlands. Leafy greens grow fast. On the coast the rough kusi monsoon sets in and sea fish thin out, and on Lake Victoria the omena closed season starts on 1 April.
June to September
Dry and cool; July is the coolest month. The long-rains harvests: green maize from July, and Nyandarua's potatoes in a glut that pulls prices down from July to September. Cold, dry pasture cuts milk deliveries, so milk can run short. The omena closed season ends on 31 July.
October to December
The short rains, heaviest in November. The second planting of maize and beans. Pasture recovers and milk with it. The first mangoes arrive from November, the kaskazi brings calm seas and sea fish back, and goat and beef demand climbs towards Christmas.

Where Nairobi's food comes from

How to read this

The windows are a guide, not a promise. Each item says whether its season comes from a named source or is a typical window. 6 fruits have no months at all, because the sources disagree and picking one would be worse than saying so. Before relying on an exact date, ask your seller.

Compiled on 14 October 2026 from the sources below. The photographs are from Wikimedia Commons; each one's photographer and licence are under its item.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Nairobi City County - climate
  2. FEWS NET: Kenya country book - seasons and crop calendar
  3. FEWS NET: Kenya food security outlook, October 2025
  4. FEWS NET: Kenya food security outlook, June 2024
  5. Nation: Got milk? Not in Kenya - here's why (2026)
  6. Kenya News Agency: Milk shortage hits both traders and consumers (2026)
  7. Nation: Nyandarua in race to end drop in Irish potato
  8. Nation: Nyandarua County in potato shortage crisis
  9. Nation: Only rich Kenyans can afford tomatoes now
  10. Why tomatoes in Nairobi crossed KSh 100 per kg in 2026
  11. ICRAF Mango Book: Production in Kenya
  12. The Star: Why you should enjoy the mango season while it lasts (2026)
  13. Business Daily: How Makueni mango farmers reap big returns in low season
  14. EastFruit: Harvest season for Hass avocado has begun in Kenya
  15. Kanga Fruits: Seasonality of Kenyan avocados
  16. Fish traders in artisanal fisheries on the Kenyan coast
  17. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management: The Rastrineobola argentea (omena) fishery in Kenya's Lake Victoria (2014)
  18. Kenya News Agency: Omena destocked owing to low demand amid high prices
  19. Farmers Trend: Seasonal fruits in Kenya
  20. Nation: Kenyans set to usher in Christmas with goat meat
  21. Business Daily: Why goat meat prices are rising to a record high
  22. Nairobi City County Urban Agriculture Promotion and Regulation Act, 2015 (FAOLEX)
  23. Frontiers in Veterinary Science: Livestock keeping in Nairobi (2017)
  24. Business Daily: Why time is up for Wakulima Market
  25. Nyandarua County Potato Strategy 2017-2021
  26. Fresh Fruit Heaven: Seasonal fruits in Nairobi (2025)
  27. Senga: So your favourite fruit is in season? (Kenya)
  28. Sport Fishing Seasons in Kenya
  29. Citizen Digital: Milk shortage hits Kenya as deliveries fall (2026)

— Kenyan food and eating out in Nairobi ⇒
— Shopping and eating in Nairobi ⇒
— Weather in Nairobi, month by month ⇒
— Plan a monthly budget ⇒

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