The street that runs from Kenya’s oldest luxury hotel to its greatest freedom fighter’s bronze gaze — and back again through a century of revolution.
What Is Kimathi Street?
Kimathi Street is one of the most historically charged, commercially vibrant, and architecturally significant streets in Nairobi’s Central Business District. Running roughly north to south through the upper CBD, it connects the junction of Kenyatta Avenue (at its southern end, where the Sarova Stanley Hotel stands) northward through a dense corridor of office towers, restaurants, bars, and casinos, terminating near the Hilton Hotel and the Dedan Kimathi statue.
It is a short street — barely 500 metres from end to end — but its density of meaning exceeds its length by a considerable distance. This road was formerly known as Hardinge Street, but was later renamed Kimathi Street after Field Marshall freedom fighter, Dedan Kimathi, to honour his role in the Mau Mau War. That renaming, enacted at independence, transformed a street named after a British colonial administrator into a permanent monument to the man who most dramatically resisted British colonial rule in Kenya
Location: Nairobi Central Business District, Nairobi County, Kenya
Former name: Hardinge Street (to 1964)
Named after: Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi Waciuri — leader of the Mau Mau Land and Freedom Army, executed by the British colonial government on 18 February 1957
Key intersections: Kenyatta Avenue (south), Standard Street, Kaunda Street, Mama Ngina Street, Banda Street (north)
Key buildings: Sarova Stanley Hotel, IPS Building, Nation Centre, Old Mutual Building, Norwich Towers, Corner House
Key landmarks: Dedan Kimathi Statue, Nairobi Gallery (at Kenyatta Avenue junction)
The History of Kimathi Street: From Hardinge to Kimathi
Hardinge Street: A Colonial Administrator’s Name (to 1964)
The first renaming wave in 1964 saw Hardinge Street changed to Kimathi Street after the leader of the Mau Mau Movement, Dedan Kimathi. The original name honoured Sir Arthur Henry Hardinge, a British diplomat who served as the first Commissioner of the British East Africa Protectorate from 1895 to 1900 and played a supervisory role in the construction of the Uganda Railway. In 1895, British diplomat Sir Arthur Henry Hardinge was promoted to a colonial head. Among his responsibilities was to oversee the construction of the Uganda Railway. By 1899, the railhead had reached Nairobi.
Even during its Hardinge Street incarnation, the road held some of Nairobi’s most significant commercial addresses. Among the first establishments was The Stanley Hotel, that opened its doors in 1902 on the street named for Hardinge. The Stanley — though it has since moved buildings and changed names — represents a direct commercial continuity from the earliest days of Nairobi as a railway camp to the present.
The Stanley House, built in 1902, was also based on this street and the Horse Shoe Coffee Bar was opposite the present-day Nation Centre. There was a central bus station near the Hilton Hotel and Empire Cinema which occupied the current space where IPS Building stands today. Kenwood Building housed the Kenya Power and Lighting headquarters while Woolworth Building was opened in 1914.
Renamed at Independence (1964)
The renaming of Hardinge Street to Kimathi Street was among the first wave of post-independence renamings in Nairobi — a deliberate, politically charged act of decolonising the city’s symbolic landscape. Delamere Avenue had just become Kenyatta Avenue. Hardinge Street — carrying the name of a colonial commissioner — became Kimathi Street, carrying the name of the man who had taken up arms against what men like Hardinge had built.
Sarova Stanley’s Thorn Tree sidewalk café was operational even when Hardinge Street was renamed Kimathi Street in the 1960s in honour of the Mau Mau field marshal who was captured and killed by colonialists in 1957. The continuity of the Stanley’s famous café across the renaming is in itself a kind of historical irony — the street changed its political allegiance entirely while the colonial-era hotel continued serving its coffee.
The Modern Street: Commercial Transformation (1970s–Present)
Fast-forward, 30 years later, and the street is encapsulated in a number of towering structures — IPS Building, Norwich Towers and Nation Centre. Kimathi Street underwent substantial architectural transformation from the 1960s through the 1990s as the CBD’s commercial core densified. The Empire Cinema that once occupied the IPS Building site gave way to one of East Africa’s first modern high-rise office towers. Nation Centre replaced earlier structures to become the headquarters of Kenya’s dominant media group.
Through all of it, the Sarova Stanley retained its position at the southern end — and through all of it, the street’s character remained dual: formal commercial by day, vibrant social and nightlife destination by night. “It is a vibrant location to conduct business because it stands at the heart of the city. And as other areas go to sleep as early as 7pm, Kimathi Street remains alive well into the wee hours of the night,” says Mary Nyakio, a bar attendant. “Truly this street comes alive when darkness falls with revellers dancing the night away in the many clubs in the area.”
Who Was Dedan Kimathi? The Man Behind the Street
To walk Kimathi Street without knowing who Dedan Kimathi was is to walk past one of Kenya’s most consequential stories without seeing it. The bronze statue at the street’s northern end is not merely decorative — it is a compressed archive of the most violent and defining decade in Kenya’s colonial history.
Birth and Early Life
Dedan Kimathi Waciuri was born on 31 October 1920 in Nyeri District, Central Province, Kenya. Born into a Kikuyu family, he was educated at mission schools and worked as a teacher before becoming involved in nationalist politics. He encountered members of the Kenya African Union in the late 1940s and was drawn rapidly into the militantly anti-colonial wing of the independence movement.
Mau Mau Leadership
Kimathi served as the secretary of the Mau Mau, emphasizing the importance of loyalty through oath-taking among its members. His leadership during the Mau Mau Rebellion, which spanned from 1952 to 1960, positioned him as a key figure in the fight for Kenyan independence.
Kimathi was captured by British forces in 1956 and executed in 1957. Kenya gained independence in 1963. Between his capture and Kenya’s independence — barely six years — the political logic of the Mau Mau uprising was vindicated: the British colonial government that had hanged Kimathi as a “terrorist” would shortly thereafter transfer power to African leaders, making his execution both an act of colonial brutality and a historical miscalculation.
A highly controversial character, Kimathi’s life has been subject to intense propaganda by both the British government who saw him as a terrorist, and Kenyan nationalists who view him as the heroic figurehead of the Mau Mau rebellion. Despite being viewed with disdain by the Jomo Kenyatta regime and subsequent governments, Kimathi and his fellow Mau Mau rebels are now officially recognised as heroes in the struggle for Kenyan independence by the incumbent government.
Capture, Trial, and Execution
Kimathi had been the field commander of the Mau Mau. He was captured by British police officer Ian Henderson, who used intelligence gathered from disgruntled former Mau Mau. Kimathi was sentenced to death and hanged on 18 February 1957 at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison. His death has come to be regarded as the end of the forest war in the Uprising.
His grave at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison has never been officially identified. During a visit to Kenya after his release from prison in 1990, Nelson Mandela asked to see the grave of Dedan Kimathi, who was hanged by the British colonial authorities in 1957, and to meet his widow Mukami. Neither request was honoured, partly because the exact site of Kimathi’s grave was officially unknown, and partly because successive Kenyan governments had classed the Kenya Lands Freedom Army, or Mau Mau, an organisation he led, as an illegal, terrorist group.
The location of his remains is unknown to this day.
Landmarks and Key Attractions on Kimathi Street
1. The Dedan Kimathi Statue (Junction of Kimathi Street and Mama Ngina Street)
What it is: The defining visual landmark of Kimathi Street — a 2.1-metre bronze statue of Dedan Kimathi in full military regalia, standing on a graphite plinth at the junction of Kimathi Street and Mama Ngina Street, at the northern end of the street near the former Hilton Hotel.
History: Since 18 February 2007, the 50th anniversary of his execution, a bronze statue of Dedan Kimathi has stood on Kimathi Street, in Nairobi. The bronze sculpture erected in 2006 was designed by Fine Arts students from Kenyatta University and cost the government Sh4.5 million.
Design: Fifty years down the line, and he still stands defiant with a rifle in the right hand and a dagger in the left. He is clothed in the same military uniform of the British soldiers that he fought, a tribute to the time he served in the imperialist army. His hair twisted in dreadlocks crowns his head in an intrepid ferociousness and overall rebellion.
Political significance: The statue was unveiled by Kibaki on February 18, 2007, the day marking the 50th anniversary of his execution. But Kimathi and fellow freedom fighters only got state recognition as heroes under the Mwai Kibaki administration. The fact that it took four decades after independence for Kimathi to receive a statue in the CBD — while his street had been named after him since 1964 — speaks to the complex, contested politics of Mau Mau memory in Kenya.
As a protest landmark: In 2024 and 2025, the Kimathi statue became one of the most symbolically charged gathering points for Kenya’s Gen Z protest movement. Gen Z protesters themselves have been invoking the history and memory of Mau Mau by gathering at the statue of the Mau Mau leader Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi in downtown Nairobi. The eponymous Kimathi Street has thus become one of the epicenters of mass protests in the city. Young Kenyans demanding accountability from their government gathered beneath the statue of the man who had demanded independence from colonial rule — a continuity of dissent that the street’s very name makes legible.
Visiting: The statue stands in a public space at the junction of Kimathi Street and Mama Ngina Street. Free to visit, accessible 24 hours.
2. Sarova Stanley Hotel (Corner of Kenyatta Avenue and Kimathi Street)
Kenya’s oldest and most historically significant luxury hotel anchors the southern end of Kimathi Street at the Kenyatta Avenue junction. As Kenya’s first luxury hotel, established in 1902, the Sarova Stanley’s rich legacy, award-winning hospitality, and central location make it the venue of choice for international conferences, corporate meetings, and upscale social events.
The Stanley has been at or near this corner since 1902. Its ground-floor Thorn Tree Café — named for the legendary acacia tree whose trunk once served as a message board for travellers across Africa — remains one of Nairobi’s most atmospheric dining spaces, with tables spilling onto the Kimathi Street pavement and offering one of the city’s best vantage points for watching CBD life flow past.
Since then, it has been making history — hosting royal safaris and legendary personalities such as Edward Prince of Wales and Ernest Hemingway.
Address: Corner of Kenyatta Avenue and Kimathi Street | Website: sarovahotels.com/stanley-nairobi
3. IPS Building (Kimathi Street, between Kaunda Street and Standard Street)
Named among Kenya’s top 15 buildings in 2012, the IPS Building is an iconic structure that was the first high-rise commercial building in Nairobi, when it was built in 1967, and completed three months ahead of schedule. Developed by PDM and designed by Italian architectural firm Mc Millan Griffis and Mileto, the 12-storey structure towers to a height of 50 meters on Kimathi Street, between Kaunda Street and Standard Street in the city’s Central Business District.
The IPS Building used some of the most modern building techniques of its time, such as pre-cast units that were welded onto the concrete structure on pre-positioned steel members, which had never been used before in East Africa. The building stands on the site of what was once the Empire Cinema — one of colonial Nairobi’s most popular entertainment venues. The transition from colonial cinema to East Africa’s first skyscraper captures Nairobi’s post-independence developmental ambition in a single address
It remains one of the CBD’s most recognisable commercial office towers and is described as “a symbol of faith placed in the country’s future” by its developers.
4. Nation Centre (Kimathi Street)
Nation Centre is one of Nairobi’s most prominent office towers and the headquarters of the Nation Media Group — Kenya’s largest privately owned media company, publisher of the Daily Nation, owner of NTV, and operator of multiple radio stations. The building’s identity as the home of Kenya’s most significant independent media institution gives it a significance beyond its architectural profile.
The Horse Shoe Coffee Bar was opposite the present-day Nation Centre in the colonial era — a reminder that the street’s social character (coffee bars, meeting places, informal gathering spots) predates independence by decades.
5. Old Mutual Building (Kimathi Street)
Old Mutual Building is a building in Nairobi County, Kenya which is located on Kimathi Street. Old Mutual Building is situated nearby to Jokers Wild Casino. The building houses a mix of offices, retail units, and some of the street’s most popular mid-range restaurants and food courts — including Hot Dishes Restaurant (known for Kenyan cuisine at accessible prices and heavily patronised by CBD workers at lunchtime) and Pepino’s Pizza. Sir Henry’s clothing store occupies the ground floor, one of several long-standing retailers that have occupied the building across multiple decades.
6. K’Osewe Ranalo Foods (Kimathi Street)
For an authentic taste of Kenyan cuisine, K’Osewe Ranalo Foods, located on Kimathi Street, is a local favourite. Known for its hearty servings of traditional dishes like tilapia, ugali, sukuma wiki, and nyama choma, it’s where both locals and tourists gather for a flavorful meal.
K’Osewe is arguably the most celebrated Kenyan-cuisine restaurant in the CBD. Its whole fried tilapia from Lake Victoria — served with dense ugali and glistening sukuma wiki — is among the most genuinely Kenyan lunches available anywhere in Nairobi. It is inexpensive by any standard, cash-oriented, and consistently packed during lunch hours. Meals run KES 500–1,500.
7. Nairobi Gallery (Kenyatta Avenue junction, accessible via Kimathi Street)
While technically positioned at the Kenyatta Avenue and Uhuru Highway roundabout rather than on Kimathi Street itself, the Nairobi Gallery is directly accessible at the foot of Kimathi Street and forms an integral part of the street’s heritage circuit.
Originally built in 1913 as a colonial government building, the Nairobi Gallery has evolved into one of Kenya’s most important centres for African art, heritage, and history, showcasing the Murumbi African Heritage Collections, traditional artefacts, textiles, jewellery, sculptures, and contemporary African artworks.
The Nairobi Gallery sits beneath the notorious Nyayo House tower at the corner of Kenyatta Avenue and Uhuru Highway. Built in 1913 at the location of “Point Zero”, the centre of Nairobi from where distances to all corners of the country were measured, it originally served as the Colonial Government office for recording Births, Marriages and Deaths. The colonial white settler community fondly called it “Hatches, Matches and Dispatches.”
Before independence, the building was a colonial courthouse where natives accused of entering Nairobi without a pass were tried and sentenced. After independence, the house was used by the provincial commissioner as the Nairobi Province office until 1983 when they relocated to Nyayo House. Later KANU (Kenya African National Union) the ruling party used the building as its KANU Nairobi branch office until 1999.
Today it houses the Murumbi African Heritage Collection — one of Africa’s most significant private art collections, assembled by Joseph Murumbi, Kenya’s second Vice President. Entry is affordable, guided tours are available, and the building itself is among the most historically layered structures in Nairobi. Website: museums.or.ke/nairobi-gallery
8. Jokers Wild Casino (Kimathi Street)
One of Nairobi’s most established casino venues, Jokers Wild on Kimathi Street is a significant contributor to the street’s lively after-dark character. Open late, it draws a mixed crowd of CBD workers, visitors, and the city’s night-owl community.
Kimathi Street as a Nightlife and Social Destination
Kimathi Street occupies a distinctive position in Nairobi’s social geography — one of the very few CBD streets that has a strong dual identity as both a daytime commercial hub and a nightlife destination.
Kimathi Street remains alive well into the wee hours of the night when darkness falls with revellers dancing the night away in the many clubs in the area.
Thorn Tree Café (Sarova Stanley): The most atmospheric of Kimathi Street’s dining and drinking establishments. The outdoor terrace tables on the Kimathi Street side of the Stanley are among the best city-watching seats in Nairobi. Open all day; excellent for breakfast, afternoon drinks, and dinner. The Stanley’s Exchange Bar inside is a classic CBD watering hole.
Tribeka: Tribeka is in the CBD, on Kimathi Street opposite Nation Centre. The location is convenient especially if you are not driving and it is a great place to party with friends. The crowd is mature and mostly consists of revellers in their late twenties and above.
Choices Pub: One of Nairobi’s most beloved live music venues, with regular performances of Afro-fusion, reggae, and Kenyan contemporary music. Wednesday night live shows are particularly renowned among Nairobi’s music community.
K’Osewe Ranalo Foods: Open from late morning to late evening, and doubles as an informal social hub particularly popular for beer and music alongside its Kenyan food.
Hot Dishes Restaurant (Old Mutual Building): A popular local eatery for budget Kenyan cuisine — nyama choma, sukuma wiki, ugali, and rice dishes. Busy from lunch through evening.
Kimathi Street and Kenya’s Gen Z Protest Movement
In 2024 and 2025, Kimathi Street acquired a new layer of historical significance that connects directly to its namesake’s legacy in ways that few anticipated.
On Tuesdays, during protests in Nairobi against the government, Neil Namu and his friends converge on Kimathi Street to sing the national anthem and other patriotic songs. So much is their love for the street that the volleys of teargas canisters fired by police don’t move them.
The connection is not accidental. Mwangi said that they draw inspiration from Kimathi in the struggle for a better and just society. The recent events of civil unrest that started with the rejection of Finance Bill 2024 brought to the fore the complex dynamics of urban memorialisation in Nairobi.
Gen Z protesters themselves have been invoking the history and memory of Mau Mau by gathering at the statue of the Mau Mau leader Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi in downtown Nairobi. The eponymous Kimathi Street has thus become one of the epicentres of mass protests in the city.
The resonance is profound: a generation of young Kenyans born after independence, mobilising against a government they felt had failed them, gathered beneath the statue of the man who took up arms against a government that had denied his generation’s humanity. The street’s name — which might easily become mere signage for most people — became, in 2024 and 2025, a living argument about what resistance means and what it costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kimathi Street in Nairobi?
Kimathi Street is a major street in Nairobi’s Central Business District running from the Kenyatta Avenue junction (at the Sarova Stanley Hotel) northward to the junction with Mama Ngina Street near the former Hilton Hotel. It is home to the Dedan Kimathi statue, the Sarova Stanley Hotel, IPS Building (Nairobi’s first high-rise, built 1967), Nation Centre, Old Mutual Building, K’Osewe Ranalo Foods, and several bars, restaurants, and the Jokers Wild Casino. It was formerly known as Hardinge Street and was renamed in 1964 to honour Mau Mau freedom fighter Dedan Kimathi.
Why is it called Kimathi Street?
This road was formerly known as Hardinge Street, but was later renamed Kimathi Street after Field Marshall freedom fighter, Dedan Kimathi, to honour his role in the Mau Mau War. Dedan Kimathi was the leader of the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (Mau Mau) in the 1950s — the armed resistance against British colonial rule. He was captured in 1956 and executed by hanging in February 1957. The renaming occurred in 1964, the year after Kenya’s independence, as part of a broader decolonisation of Nairobi’s street names. The Standard
What was Kimathi Street previously called?
Kimathi Street was formerly known as Hardinge Street, named after Sir Arthur Henry Hardinge, the first Commissioner of the British East Africa Protectorate (1895–1900), who oversaw the early stages of the Uganda Railway construction. The first renaming wave in 1964 saw Hardinge Street changed to Kimathi Street after the leader of the Mau Mau Movement, Dedan Kimathi. The Conversation
Where is the Dedan Kimathi statue?
The Kibaki government erected a 2.1-metre bronze statue titled Freedom Fighter Dedan Kimathi on a graphite plinth, in central Nairobi. The statue is at the junction of Kimathi Street and Mama Ngina Street. Since 18 February 2007, the 50th anniversary of his execution, a bronze statue of Dedan Kimathi has stood on Kimathi Street, in Nairobi. The statue is free to visit, accessible at all times, and stands at the northern end of Kimathi Street near the former Hilton Hotel. WikipediaRed Pepper
Who designed the Dedan Kimathi statue?
The bronze sculpture erected in 2006 was designed by Fine Arts students from Kenyatta University and cost the government Sh4.5 million. In 2007, then-President Mwai Kibaki unveiled this statue along a busy city avenue, immortalising Kimathi’s memory for future generations. The statue depicts Kimathi in military regalia holding a rifle in his right hand and a dagger in his left — representing the last weapons he carried in his fight against British colonial rule. Business DailyNmk
What is the oldest building on Kimathi Street?
The Sarova Stanley Hotel, at the corner of Kenyatta Avenue and Kimathi Street, traces its origins to 1902 — making it the oldest continuing commercial establishment on the street and Kenya’s oldest luxury hotel. Among the first establishments on what was then Hardinge Street was The Stanley Hotel, that opened its doors in 1902. The current building dates from a 1959 reconstruction, though the hotel has operated continuously at or near this corner for over 120 years.
What is the IPS Building on Kimathi Street?
The IPS Building is an iconic structure that was the first high-rise commercial building in Nairobi, when it was built in 1967, completed three months ahead of schedule. The 12-storey structure towers to a height of 50 meters on Kimathi Street, between Kaunda Street and Standard Street. It was also named among Kenya’s top 15 buildings in 2012. The building stands on the site of the old Empire Cinema, a colonial-era entertainment venue. It remains one of the CBD’s most distinctive commercial office towers.
What are the best restaurants on Kimathi Street?
The most notable eating options on Kimathi Street include K’Osewe Ranalo Foods for authentic Kenyan cuisine (tilapia, ugali, sukuma wiki, nyama choma; KES 500–1,500); Thorn Tree Café at the Sarova Stanley for upscale international food and coffee in a heritage setting; Hot Dishes Restaurant in the Old Mutual Building for affordable Kenyan office-worker lunches; and Pepino’s Pizza in the Old Mutual Building for Italian-inspired food at mid-range CBD prices.
What is the nightlife like on Kimathi Street?
Kimathi Street remains alive well into the wee hours of the night with revellers dancing the night away in the many clubs in the area. Key nightlife venues include Tribeka (opposite Nation Centre, known for a mature, mixed crowd and affordable drinks), Choices Pub (live music including Afro-fusion and reggae, particularly popular on Wednesday nights), the Exchange Bar at the Sarova Stanley (classic upscale hotel bar), and Jokers Wild Casino. The street’s nightlife energy builds significantly from 8 PM onward on weekends.
Is Kimathi Street safe?
During business hours, Kimathi Street is generally considered one of the more navigable CBD streets — well-trafficked, relatively well-lit, and commercially active. Standard CBD safety practices apply: keep mobile phones out of sight when not in use, hold bags close to the body, and avoid displaying jewellery or expensive accessories. For nightlife visits, use Uber or Bolt rather than walking to and from the street after dark. The Sarova Stanley area at the Kenyatta Avenue junction is the most policed and pedestrian-dense section.
Why do Gen Z protesters gather on Kimathi Street?
Gen Z protesters have been invoking the history and memory of Mau Mau by gathering at the statue of the Mau Mau leader Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi in downtown Nairobi. The eponymous Kimathi Street has thus become one of the epicentres of mass protests in the city. The symbolism is deliberate — young Kenyans protesting against government failures gather beneath the statue of the man who organised armed resistance against colonial government failures. Mwangi said that they draw inspiration from Kimathi in the struggle for a better and just society.
Where does Kimathi Street start and end?
Kimathi Street runs from the junction with Kenyatta Avenue at its southern end (where the Sarova Stanley Hotel stands) northward to the junction with Mama Ngina Street at its northern end (where the Dedan Kimathi statue stands, near the former Hilton Hotel). The street is approximately 500 metres long.
The Nairobi Gallery: Kimathi Street’s Cultural Crown
At the foot of Kimathi Street, where Kenyatta Avenue meets Uhuru Highway, sits one of Nairobi’s most undervisited and most rewarding cultural institutions: the Nairobi Gallery.
The Nairobi Gallery sits beneath the Nyayo House tower at the corner of Kenyatta Avenue and Uhuru Highway. Built in 1913 at the location of “Point Zero” — the centre of Nairobi from where distances to all corners of the country were measured — it originally served as the Colonial Government office for recording Births, Marriages and Deaths. The colonial white settler community fondly called it “Hatches, Matches and Dispatches.” Jambonairobi
The building’s subsequent history is a compressed version of Kenya’s post-independence political journey: before independence, the building was a colonial courthouse where natives accused of entering Nairobi without a pass were tried and sentenced. After independence, the house was used by the provincial commissioner as the Nairobi Province office until 1983 when they relocated to Nyayo House. Later KANU (Kenya African National Union) the ruling party used the building as its KANU Nairobi branch office until 1999. National Museums of Kenya
Today the National Museums of Kenya manages it as an art gallery showcasing the Murumbi African Heritage Collection — an extraordinary assemblage of African art, artefacts, textiles, jewellery, rare books, and stamps collected by Joseph Murumbi, Kenya’s second Vice President. The collection is one of the most significant private African art collections on the continent.
Entry is affordable. The Point Zero atrium inside the building — from which distances to all of Kenya were historically measured — is a remarkable space that makes physical the idea of Nairobi as the country’s centre of gravity.
Getting Around Kimathi Street
On foot: Kimathi Street is entirely walkable. At approximately 500 metres, it is one of the shorter CBD streets and can be walked end to end in under ten minutes. The pavement is in reasonable condition and the street has less matatu and bus congestion than Tom Mboya Street or Ronald Ngala Street, making it more comfortable for walking. The Kenyatta Avenue end, near the Stanley Hotel, is the most pedestrian-friendly section.
By matatu: Kimathi Street does not have its own dedicated matatu stage, but it is surrounded by major staging areas. The General Post Office stage on Kenyatta Avenue (matatu routes to Ngong Road and Westlands) is immediately accessible. The Kencom stage on City Hall Way serves western suburban routes. Tom Mboya Street stages (Odeon, Tea Room, Khoja) are a short walk east. For CBD visitors, the most practical approach is to alight at any of these nearby stages and walk to Kimathi Street.
By ride-hailing: Uber and Bolt both operate well in this area. The Kenyatta Avenue junction near the Stanley Hotel is the easiest pickup point — mention “Stanley Hotel” as a pickup reference. During peak hours, the narrow sections of Kimathi Street near IPS Building can be congested; consider walking one block to Kenyatta Avenue for faster vehicle access.
Parking: The Sarova Stanley Hotel offers valet parking for guests. Limited commercial parking is available on adjacent streets (Standard Street, Kaunda Street). The CBD Parking Silo near City Hall is approximately 400 metres away.
What to See Near Kimathi Street
Kenyatta Avenue (immediately south): The CBD’s main boulevard — eight lanes wide, lined with the Sarova Stanley (Kimathi Street end), major banks, the War Memorial, All Saints’ Cathedral, and the Nairobi Serena Hotel at its western end. The Nairobi Gallery is at the Kenyatta Avenue/Uhuru Highway roundabout.
Mama Ngina Street (intersects Kimathi Street at the northern end / Kimathi statue): The IMAX Cinema, Central Park frontage, and government offices. Pleasant walking environment with wider pavements.
Moi Avenue (one block west, parallel to Kimathi Street): Kenya National Archives, Tom Mboya Monument, Jeevanjee Gardens, Ambassadeur Hotel. Nairobi’s most historically layered street.
Tom Mboya Street (one block east): Kenya’s first road (1899), renamed for the assassinated minister. Tea Room, Odeon, Imenti House, and multiple matatu stages.
Banda Street (northern cross-street, near Kimathi Street’s northern end): Jamia Mosque (one of East Africa’s most important mosques, built 1925), McMillan Memorial Library (1931), connecting through to Museum Hill.
Nairobi Gallery (at foot of Kimathi Street, Kenyatta Avenue junction): Art gallery, national monument, Murumbi Collection, Point Zero. Free entry or nominal fee depending on current exhibition.
Kimathi Street at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Official name | Kimathi Street |
| Former name | Hardinge Street (to 1964) |
| Named after | Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi Waciuri — Mau Mau leader (1920–1957) |
| Renamed | 1964, at Kenya’s independence |
| Location | Nairobi Central Business District |
| Runs from | Kenyatta Avenue (south, Stanley Hotel junction) to Mama Ngina Street (north, Kimathi statue) |
| Approximate length | 500 metres |
| Key intersections | Kenyatta Avenue, Standard Street, Kaunda Street, Mama Ngina Street, Banda Street |
| Signature landmarks | Dedan Kimathi Statue, Sarova Stanley Hotel (Thorn Tree Café), IPS Building, Nation Centre, Old Mutual Building, Nairobi Gallery (foot of street) |
| Notable restaurants | K’Osewe Ranalo Foods (Kenyan cuisine), Thorn Tree Café (international), Hot Dishes (local budget), Pepino’s Pizza |
| Nightlife | Tribeka, Choices Pub, Exchange Bar (Sarova Stanley), Jokers Wild Casino |
| Historical events | Colonial origin as Hardinge Street (1899); renamed at independence (1964); Kimathi statue unveiled (2007); Gen Z protests epicentre (2024–2025) |
| Kimathi’s legacy | Led Mau Mau uprising; captured 1956; executed 18 February 1957; grave location unknown; officially recognised as national hero under Kibaki |
| Architecture | Sarova Stanley (1902/1959); IPS Building (1967 — Nairobi’s first high-rise); Nation Centre; Old Mutual Building; Norwich Towers |
| Best for | Heritage walking, upscale dining, nightlife, historical monuments, media/business district |
| Transport | Walk from Kencom, GPO, Tom Mboya stages; Uber/Bolt pickup at Stanley Hotel junction |
| Safety | Generally safe during day; standard CBD precautions; use ride-hailing after dark |
| Nearby | Moi Avenue (1 block west), Tom Mboya Street (1 block east), Kenyatta Avenue (south), Mama Ngina Street (north), Nairobi Gallery (at foot of street) |
| Street character | Formal commercial by day; bar, restaurant, and club hub by night; protest gathering point since 2024 |
Information current as of June 2026. Business hours, pricing, and access arrangements may change — verify current details with individual establishments before visiting.