Market Research Companies in Nairobi

Key figures for researchers

Population

4,397,073, 9.2% of Kenya (2019 census)¹

Growth

+40% since 2009 (3,138,369) (2019 census)¹

Men / women

2,204,376 / 2,192,452 (2019 census)¹

Area and density

703.9 km², about 6,247 people per km² (2019 census)¹

Households

about 1.5 million, 2.9 people on average (2019 census)¹

Census sub-counties

11; the largest is Embakasi (988,808) (2019 census)²

Administrative units

17 sub-counties and 85 wards³

Languages

Kiswahili (national and official), English (official)⁴

Mobile phone ownership

67.7% of residents, the highest of any county (2023/24)⁵

Internet users

64.7%, the highest of any county (2023/24)⁵

Research guide

Research landscape

Nairobi is the base of most market research agencies in Kenya: local independent firms, offices of international networks, qualitative and B2B specialists and field-only suppliers. Many of them run national studies from Nairobi with interviewer teams in the counties, and some also manage fieldwork in other East African countries.

With 4.4 million people in 2019, or 9.2% of Kenya’s population, Nairobi is the most populous county, and it is where most B2B and executive interviews take place.

Who you will interview

Nairobi grew by 40% between the 2009 and 2019 censuses, from 3.1 million to 4.4 million people, and men and women are almost equal in number. Households are small: about 1.5 million households with 2.9 people on average.

Kiswahili is the national language and Kiswahili and English are the official languages. General public questionnaires are usually prepared in both, and English is standard for B2B and executive interviews.

Fieldwork in practice

The 2019 census publishes Nairobi in 11 sub-counties, from Embakasi (988,808 people) and Kasarani (780,656) to Kibra (185,777), while the county administration counts 17 sub-counties and 85 wards. Agree with the agency which division is used for quotas and sampling, and use census sub-counties when weighting to official population figures.

Nairobi is dense (about 6,247 people per km²): spread interviews across sub-counties and income levels. Phone and online methods work better than elsewhere in Kenya, as 67.7% of residents own a mobile phone and 64.7% use the internet, the highest rates of any county, but face-to-face interviews (CAPI) are still needed to reach residents without a phone or internet access.

Focus groups and qualitative research

Nairobi is the main location for in-person focus groups in Kenya, held in viewing facilities or in rented meeting rooms. Allow for travel time across the city when scheduling evening groups, and choose a venue that is easy to reach for the target.

Ask the agency for its Nairobi incentive levels, recruitment lead times and moderators’ languages; groups can be run in English, Kiswahili or both. Senior B2B respondents often prefer online interviews.

Timing

Nairobi has two rainy seasons: the long rains, starting in late March or early April, peaking in April and ending in the second half of May, and the short rains, from late October to late December. Heavy rain can disrupt travel and outdoor interviews: allow extra time in these months.

Plan around public holidays: New Year, Good Friday and Easter Monday, Labour Day (1 May), Madaraka Day (1 June), Mazingira Day (10 October), Mashujaa Day (20 October), Jamhuri Day (12 December), Christmas and Utamaduni Day (26 December), plus Idd-ul-Fitr and Idd-ul-Azha, whose dates are set each year.

Working with a Nairobi agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target, sample size, sub-counties or areas, method, languages and deadline.
• Agree whether quotas follow the 11 census sub-counties or the 17 administrative sub-counties.
• For face-to-face work, ask how the agency covers all income levels and residents without a phone or internet access.
• For focus groups, ask for the venue address, viewing options, moderation language and incentive levels.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 Nairobi companies from this page.

National rules (data protection, holidays, sampling across regions) are covered in our guide to market research in Kenya.