Nairobi has experienced a huge, relatively steady increase in population since Kenya became independent in 1963, as Africans have migrated to the city from Kenya's rural areas. While the 1962 census put the number of city residents at 266,794, the census of 1969 counted 509,206. Nairobi's population at the 1989 census was 1,324,570. In 1989 the city had an estimated population of 1,346,000.
From the time of its origin, Nairobi has been home to a diverse, multiracial population. Africans have long made up the majority, but Asians (primarily Indians and Pakistanis) and Europeans also account for a portion of the city's residents. In the mid-1990s Asians and Europeans made up about 4 percent of Nairobi's inhabitants. This represents a significant decline from 1962, when they constituted 40 percent. The change is largely explained by the departure of many Asians and Europeans, and the large influx of Africans, after Kenya gained independence. Of the African population, the Kikuyu ethnic group makes up approximately 32 percent of the city's people, the Luo 18 percent, the Luhya 16 percent, and the Kamba 13 percent. The Masai, who inhabited the region before the city existed, constitute less than 1 percent of Nairobi residents. The majority of Nairobi's people are Christians. There are also significant numbers of Muslims and smaller communities of Hindus and Sikhs.
Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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