Towns and places. Updated November 2026. 4 min read.
An hour from Nairobi, past the factories of Athi River, the flat plains fold into green hills dotted with farms, and the road climbs into Machakos, the old town of the Kamba.
Machakos is one of the easiest escapes from Nairobi: close enough for a day, with hill walks, wide views, a well-kept town park and a living craft tradition. It is also one of the oldest inland towns in Kenya, and for the many Kenyans in the U.S. with Kamba roots, it is home. Our Machakos County page has the county data; this page is the visitor's guide to the town and the hills around it.
Getting there
| From | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Nairobi city centre | Mombasa Road to Athi River, then the Machakos road | About 1 to 1.5 hours, longer at rush hour |
| JKIA | Mombasa Road east | About 1 hour |
| Mua Hills | Road west of town | About 20 to 30 minutes |
| Kyamwilu | Road toward Kangundo | About 20 to 30 minutes |
| Ol Donyo Sabuk and Fourteen Falls | Road north | About 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Mombasa Road toward Tsavo | Back via Athi River | Joins the main highway in about 45 minutes |
A short history
The town takes its name from Masaku, a Kamba leader of the 1800s. In the late 1880s the Imperial British East Africa Company set up a station here, one of the first British posts in the interior, and Machakos served as an administrative centre before Nairobi existed. The Kamba were already great long-distance traders, running caravans of ivory and goods between the interior and the coast; Kamba history remembers leaders such as the prophetess Syokimau and the protest leader Muindi Mbingu. Our Kamba people page tells the longer story.
In and around town
- Machakos People's Park: a large, well-kept county park on the edge of town, with a lake, fountains and lawns ringed by hills, popular with families at weekends.
- The Iveti Hills: the ridges above town, with cedar forest patches, good birdwatching and walking trails with views over the plains.
- The Mua Hills: cool hills west of town, with farms, old homesteads and long views back toward Nairobi; a fine place for a picnic or a gentle hike.
- Kyamwilu: a stretch of road where water and cars appear to roll uphill. It is an optical illusion of the slope, and great fun.
- Lukenya Hills: granite cliffs off Mombasa Road on the way in, used by Nairobi's rock climbers and walkers.
Kamba carving and baskets
Many of the wooden animals sold in Kenya's markets and shops are Kamba work. Carving grew into a craft industry in the 1900s from villages such as Wamunyu, east of Machakos, and Kamba carvers now work in cooperatives across the country. In Machakos you can see carvers at work and buy direct, often for less than in Nairobi, and with the money going to the carver. The other great Kamba craft is basketry: the kiondo, a sturdy woven sisal bag in bright patterns, made by women's groups across the region. Buy from the weavers, and ask how long each one took; the answer usually makes the price look fair.
Kamba food
This is dryland farming country, and the food is built for it. The signature dish is muthokoi, maize with its husk pounded off, slow-cooked with beans or pigeon peas until it is soft and rich. Add pumpkin and cowpea leaves, mbaazi, pigeon peas, local honey, and nyama choma at the roadside grills on the way in. Our Kamba food page has the recipes and their stories.
When to go
Machakos is warm and fairly dry. The short rains of October to December are the main rains in this part of Kenya, with the long rains in March to May; the hills are greenest just after them. June to September is cool and dry, good for walking.
Where to eat and stay
The town has business hotels and guesthouses, local restaurants for Kamba and Kenyan food, and nyama choma grills in town and along the roads in. Toward Athi River, a few lodges and ranch stays on private land, such as the Maanzoni area, have zebra and giraffe roaming the grounds and make a calm night close to Nairobi. Most of our guests visit as a day trip and return to Nairobi.
How long to stay, and how it fits a trip
A day is enough for People's Park, a hill walk, Kyamwilu and a carving visit, with lunch in town. Machakos fits the first or last day of a trip, as a softer alternative to a Nairobi city day, or the start of a drive south-east toward Tsavo. For diaspora families, it is often the heart of the trip: we build family visits, a church service or a school visit into the day.
Why plan with us: Kenya Experience is Kenyan-led, with two U.S. companies behind it and Kenyan guides on the ground. You can pay in full or monthly with no deposit, and a specialist replies within two business days.
