Kenya Cities

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Kenya Cities by Population

102 cities shown of 102 total Kenya cities that are over 1,000 in population...

1. Nairobi 2,750,547
2. Mombasa 799,668
3. Nakuru 259,903
4. Eldoret 218,446
5. Kisumu 216,479
6. Thika 99,322
7. Kitale 75,123
8. Malindi 68,304
9. Garissa 67,861
10. Kakamega 63,426
11. Bungoma 55,962
12. Nyeri 51,084
13. Meru 47,226
14. Kilifi 46,118
15. Wajir 45,771
16. Mumias 45,485
17. Lugulu 40,894
18. Homa Bay 40,319
19. Naivasha 38,366
20. Nanyuki 36,142
21. Mandera 36,076
22. Narok 36,061
23. Kericho 35,748
24. Migori 35,240
25. Embu 34,922
26. Isiolo 33,207
27. Nyahururu 31,978
28. Machakos 31,971
29. Rongai 30,471
30. Kisii 28,547
31. Molo 27,896
32. Athi River 24,530
33. Lamu 24,525
34. Webuye 22,507

35. Karuri 21,476
36. Kiambu 21,234
37. Maralal 20,841
38. Makueni 20,681
39. Lodwar 20,219
40. Voi 19,624
41. Moyale 16,243
42. Kitui 15,954
43. Marsabit 15,361
44. Siaya 15,354
45. Keruguya 15,287
46. Muhoroni 15,217
47. Magadi 14,529
48. Taveta 13,377
49. Namanga 13,193
50. Kinancha 13,162
51. Sawa Sawa 12,975
52. Mariakani 12,786
53. Eldama Ravine 12,524
54. Wundanyi 12,501
55. Murang'a 11,987
56. Mwingi 11,219
57. Butere 11,205
58. Kajiado 11,198
59. Maua 10,804
60. Takaungu 10,760
61. Kabarnet 10,132
62. Oyugis 10,116
63. Kangundo 10,094
64. Luanda 10,053
65. Ngong 9,519
66. Chuka 9,347
67. Naro Moru 9,018
68. Ahero 8,788

69. Bondo 8,683
70. Malaba 8,383
71. Kinango 8,070
72. Baringo 7,656
73. Port Bunyala 6,793
74. Limuru 6,317
75. Wote 6,133
76. Witu 5,380
77. Bomet 5,270
78. Gazi 5,222
79. Kwale 4,883
80. Mtito Andei 4,763
81. Londiani 4,758
82. Kijabe 4,679
83. Maragua 4,661
84. Rumuruti 4,501
85. Othaya 4,468
86. Malikisi 4,319
87. Kangema 4,319
88. Nandi Hills 4,257
89. Keroka 4,143
90. Kipini 4,114
91. Kikuyu 3,953
92. Kapsabet 3,758
93. Sagana 3,297
94. Litein 3,129
95. Lumbwa 2,952
96. Yala 2,715
97. Sotik 2,600
98. Shimoni 2,374
99. Konza 2,004
100. Ogembo 1,842
101. Nambale 1,154
102. Chepareria 1,073

Kenya History

Fossils found in East Africa suggest that primates roamed the area more than 20 million years ago. Recent finds near Kenya's Lake Turkana indicate that hominids such as Homo habilis and Homo erectus are possible direct ancestors of modern Homo sapiens and lived in Kenya during the Pleistocene epoch. In 1984 one particular discovery made at Lake Turkana by famous palaeoanthropologist Richard Leakey and Kamoya Kimeu was the skeleton of a Turkana boy belonging to Homo erectus from 1.6 million years ago. Previous research on early hominids is particularly identified with Mary Leakey and Louis Leakey, who were responsible for the preliminary archaeological research at Olorgesailie and Hyrax Hill. Later work at the former was undertaken by Glynn Isaac.

Cushitic-speaking people, as termed by Schloezer, from northern Africa, moved into the area that is now Kenya beginning around 2000 BCE. Arab traders began frequenting the Kenya coast around the 1st century CE. Kenya's proximity to the Arabian Peninsula invited colonisation, and Arab and Persian settlements sprouted along the coast by the 8th century. During the first millennium CE, Nilotic and Bantu-speaking peoples moved into the region, and the latter now comprise three-quarters of Kenya's population.

In the centuries preceding colonisation, the Swahili coast of Kenya was part of the east African region which traded with the Arab world and India especially for ivory and slaves.

Swahili, a Bantu language with Arabic, Persian and other Middle Eastern and South Asian loan words, later developed as a lingua franca for trade between the different peoples.

The Luo of Kenya descend from early agricultural and herding communities from western Kenya's early pre-colonial history. The Luo along with other tribes associated with the Nilotic language group, are known to have originated from the north of Kenya, probably the northern regions of modern Sudan. The Nilots as they are known, are an anthropological group that originated from the northeastern regions of Africa. They may have moved south due to the wars that characterized the growth of territories such as Kush and Egypt. In Kenya, this group comprises the Luo, Kalenjin, the Turkana and the Maasai as the main groups. This is clearly evidenced by the presence of similar dialects among certain tribes in modern day Sudan. These tribes, include the Acoli and Lwo who occupy modern Darfur region.