Denver Sister Cities International

The inauguration of Denver-Nairobi Sister Cities partnership happened on March 2, 1975. The two-week Salute to Nairobi to commemorate the occasion consisted of folk-art, dances, handicrafts, and other products from Kenya displayed at various downtown locations.

In 1976 the City of Nairobi Park was dedicated by then-Councilor Nathan Kahara who later became Mayor of Nairobi. The Nairobi Park is located at East 36th Avenue and Cook Streets in Denver.

Continuing to strengthen this 35-year relationship, Nairobi Mayor Geoffrey Majiwa visited Denver in June 2008.  During his stay, he met with Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, toured Denver organizations and city utilities, discussed future collaborations with DSCI, and met with prominent individuals and groups interested in Kenya.

Throughout the years the Denver-Nairobi Committee has been the recipient of many prestigious awards. In 1996 the Committee received the Best Overall Project for 1996 Award from Sister Cities International for its Nairobi Dance Troupe Exchange.

Denver and Nairobi are both bustling modern capitols, with international air, diverse populations, and nearby snow-topped peaks. Nairobi, like Denver, is situated on a high plateau with two of the highest peaks in Africa a relatively short distance away. Nairobi is an exciting and cosmopolitan city and, as the capitol of Kenya, serves as a center of commerce for all of East Africa. Like the Queen City of the Plains, Nairobi is a beautiful city and has often been referred to as the Jewel of Africa.

Founded in 1899 as a simple rail depot on the railway linking Mombasa to Uganda, Nairobi quickly grew to become the capital of British East Africa in 1907 and eventually the capital of a free Kenyan republic in 1963. Nairobi is now one of the most prominent cities in Africa politically and financially.  Home to many companies and organizations, including the United Nations Environment Programme and the UN Office in Africa, Nairobi is established as a hub for business and culture. The Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) is one of the largest in Africa and the city is known internationally as a prominent social centre.

Situated 5,889 feet above sea level on a high plateau, Nairobi boasts a moderate and pleasant climate. From the hot and humid eastern coast on the Indian Ocean, the low plains rise to central highlands. The highlands are bisected by the Great Rift Valley- a fertile plateau to the west of Nairobi. The Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in all of Africa. The highlands are also the site of the highest point in Kenya (and the second highest in Africa)- Mount Kenya, which stretches to 17,057 feet. To the south, Mount Kilimanjaro looms at 19,341 feet on the Tanzanian border.

Frequent tourists from around the world pass through Nairobi in route to some of Kenya’s elite tourist destinations. From the great wildebeest migration on the Maasai Mara, the white sand beaches on the Indian Ocean, the haunting landscapes of Lake Turkana, and the awe-inspiring reserves at the base of Mount Killimanjaro, Kenya offers extraordinary sites found nowhere else on the planet.

Nairobi itself offers a remarkable opportunity to experience many of the highlights of Kenyan culture. Vegetable stands line many streets, filled with colorful arrays including fresh avocados, pineapple, sugarcane, mangoes, and roasted corn. Local street markets sell everything from fashionable clothing and shoes to electronics and luggage.  High-end shopping malls, restaurants, movie-theaters, and coffee shops are frequent throughout the city. Local bands play on lazy afternoons in small bars in the city’s many informal settlements, and young people dance all night in packed bars and clubs across the city. Animal sanctuaries offer a peak into Kenya’s wonderful wildlife, as well as the opportunity to pet an elephant or kiss a giraffe! And in all of these places, there is the unmistakable feeling of community, life, and happiness that are so central to the vibrant and beautiful culture of Kenya.

Over the 35-year Sister City relationship, the Denver-Nairobi Committee has been involved in numerous economic, humanitarian, and cultural projects. The committee sponsored numerous high school youth exchanges and the collection and delivery of prosthetic equipment to Dagoretti Children’s Centre for the Handicapped in Nairobi. They also collected books, school supplies, equipment, and scholarship assistance for delivery to Materi Girls School in outlying Meru County.

In June 1999, sixteen Denver-Nairobi Committee members traveled to Nairobi, Kenya to the US-Africa Sister Cities Conference. At that time, medical supplies were delivered to Purnwani Maternity Hospital and books, school supplies and sporting equipment delivered to a middle school in Bura Village. The first US-Africa Sister Cities Conference of the New Millennium was hosted by the Denver-Nairobi Committee in 2000. Keynote speakers included Leonard Robinson, Jr., President/CEO National Summit on Africa, the Honorable Maxine Waters, Congresswoman, State of California and The Honorable Gail Schoettler, PHd, US Ambassador, Global Treaty on Communications.

Additionally, the Denver-Nairobi Committee chose to Combat HIV through Art by presenting its first Aids Fundraiser entitled I Rise Again. This project (showcasing works of art by local artists) trained 15 young ladies (and one gentleman) from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe to model garments designed by local designers and craftsmen with fabrics imported from throughout the African Continent. Models strutted proudly as they presented personal garments from home in a set entitled Opening the Treasure Chest. Net proceeds from the fundraiser were donated to a Kenyan facility dedicated to Aids prevention.

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