Google Street View has today released data showing Kenya’s most sought after locations in the past year from bus stations, historical buildings, business centres, national parks, museums, hotels, and cities. The data was released to commemorate Street View’s 15th anniversary and to showcase the various places that hold significance to Kenyans.
According to the data, Nairobi’s Tea-room area , a 24-hour bus terminal for travellers heading to Rift valley, Western, Central and Coastal Kenya regions attracted the highest number of views. Tea-room is a major business hub hosting businesses selling assorted wares from footwear, uniforms, water pumps, vehicle spare parts, hand, motorised and electrical tools among others.
Communications & Public Affairs Manager, Kenya, Sharon Machira said: “Street View is a virtual representation of our surroundings on Google Maps, consisting of billions of panoramic images. Street View’s content comes from two sources, Google and contributors. Through our collective efforts, we enable people everywhere to virtually explore the world.”
Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service, situated along Moi Avenue next to Ambassadeur Hotel that emerged second is a popular landmark that holds 40,000 volumes of historical information and houses the Murumbi Gallery which contains African artefacts that were collected in the 19th century.
Imenti House and Star shopping malls that house a number of exhibition stalls selling clothes, perfumes, phones, and among other items emerged third and fourth respectively. Fifth on the list was Kimathi Chambers that houses Equity Bank. Total Energies Front View Service Station, the first petrol station one encounters as you drive into Mombasa from Nairobi emerged sixth in the list, followed by United Snacks and Hotel, Bihi Towers, RNG Plaza in the seventh, eighth and ninth positions respectively. Nyayo House, which is located at the corner of Uhuru Highway and Kenyatta Avenue, closed the top ten list and was mostly sought for immigration and naturalisation services.
The data further reveals that people exploring Kenya on Street View from across the globe mostly sought to familiarise themselves with Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru and Eldoret. There was also a spike on Street View for users looking for information and images on the National Archives Moi Avenue, Fort Jesus Museum, National Museums of Kenya, Aberdare, Karen Blixen Museum and Kitale Museum.
Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides interactive panoramas from positions along many streets in the world. It was launched in 2007 in several cities in the United States, and has since expanded to include cities and rural areas worldwide. With immersive Street View imagery from Google and contributors, one can easily travel to nearly every country in the world virtually and explore world landmarks, discover natural wonders, and step inside places like museums, arenas, restaurants, and small businesses.
What Kenyans viewed most on Street View
- Tea-room
- Kenya National Archives & Documentation Service
- Imenti House
- Star Shopping Mall
- Kimathi Chambers
- Total Energies Frontview Service Station
- United Snacks & Hotel
- Bihi Towers
- RNG Plaza
- Nyayo House, Nairobi.
Top Museums Clicked on Street View between April 2021 – April 2022
- Kenya National Museum Society
- National Archives Moi Avenue
- Fort Jesus Museum
- National Museums of Kenya
- Aberdare
- Karen Blixen Museum
- Kitale Museum
Cities and Admin Areas with the most visitors on Street View between May 2021 – April 2022)
- Nairobi
- Mombasa
- Nakuru
- Eldoret