Nairobi was founded in 1899 and is today the economic and political capital of Kenya, and a thriving cultural hub. With a population of more than 4.3 million, Nairobi’s primacy in Kenya’s urban system is unrivalled and its rapid expansion is only set to continue – though settlement patterns are becoming increasingly complex. Nairobi is strongly marked by an inequitable colonial history and complex patterns of exclusionary development. Recent devolution reforms, policy commitments to affordable housing and public transport, and upgrading partnerships in informal settlements could provide key opportunities for interventions to address pervading inequalities.