Famous people who grew up or lived in Kenya
3 notable people grew up or lived in Kenya. Each listing explores the home and neighbourhood, and how the place shaped the person they became.
Eliud Kipchoge1984–2001
📍 Kapsisiywa, Nandi County, Kenya
Eliud Kipchoge grew up in the village of Kapsisiywa, in Nandi County in Kenya's highlands, the youngest of four children. His father died when he was very young, and he was raised by his…
Jomo Kenyatta1897–1978
📍 Gatundu, Kiambu, Kenya
I was born Kamau wa Ngengi around 1897 in Gatundu in the Kikuyu highlands of Kenya, and I became Jomo Kenyatta — Burning Spear — the father of Kenyan independence. I spent fifteen years in…
Wangari Maathai1940–2011
📍 Nyeri, Nyeri County, Central Kenya 10100
I was born in 1940 in Nyeri in the central highlands of Kenya, the daughter of a Kikuyu farmer. I grew up near a fig tree by a stream that the community considered sacred — the roots held…