Crossword Clue: Capital of Kenya
Here's the answer to the Capital of Kenya crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: NAIROBI
The answer to "Capital of Kenya" is NAIROBI. Nairobi runs 7 letters — 4 vowels and 3 consonants — opening with N and closing on I. In a grid it fills a 7-square slot whose letters are each shared with a crossing word, so the intersections do a lot of the heavy lifting when the clue itself is tough.
Origin & meaning
Nairobi is the only capital city with a national park within its boundaries, where lions and giraffes roam. It began as a railway depot in 1899. The name comes from a Maasai phrase meaning cool water.
Common usage
You'll see NAIROBI in grids regularly — its 7-letter, 4 vowels shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the N or I, NAIROBI tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like NAIROBI are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet NAIROBI again and again, and recognizing it instantly is one of the quiet skills that separates fast solvers from slow ones.
Stuck on this clue?
The fastest way past a stubborn clue like this one is the grid itself: pencil in the easy crossing answers first, and NAIROBI will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue NAIROBI — sometimes with a straight dictionary definition, sometimes with wordplay, a pun, or a fill-in-the-blank — but the answer itself stays the same. Learning to spot the answer behind the disguise is a core crossword skill.
Example sentences
- "Once the N was confirmed by the crossing word, NAIROBI was the only entry that fit."
- "A 7-letter slot and a clue like 'Capital of Kenya'? That's NAIROBI nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed NAIROBI was right."