What are the tallest mountains in Kenya?

Written by: Yuna Tiya, Local Expert

Kenya’s terrain rises from a low coastal plain on the Indian Ocean to mountains and plateaus at its center. Kenya’s mountain forests are home to scores of unique and endangered species found nowhere else in the world.

Here are the five tallest mountains in Kenya.

1. Mount Kenya: 17,057ft 

Mount Kenya, about 10 miles south of the equator and 90 miles northeast of Nairobi, is the tallest mountain in Kenya. Set within Mount Kenya National Park, which was established to protect the mountain, it is also the second tallest mountain in Africa, second only to Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro.

Mount Kenya is unique in that it actually features twin peaks. The highest peaks of Mount Kenya are Batian (17,057 feet) and Nelion (17,021 ft), which are usually snow capped. The entire mountain, in fact, receives substantial snow, and provides fresh water to almost seven million people across Kenya. Home to elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, antelope and other species, Mount Kenya and the area around it was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and in 1997, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Many adventurous travelers venture to East Africa to climb Mount Kenya. As climbers ascend the mountain, they move from bamboo forest to glacier as they climb towards a summit with sweeping views of the Kenyan highlands.

2. Mount Elgon: 14,177ft

At 4,000 square kilometers, Mount Elgon is one the highest mountains in Kenya and has the largest volcanic base in the world. Located on the Kenya-Uganda border, it is also estimated to be the oldest and largest solitary volcanic mountain in East Africa at approximately 24 million years old.

Elgon rises more than 9,842 feet above the surrounding landscape and shelters a plethora of flora and fauna. Elgon is a popular mountain for trekkers, and because it is less crowded than Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro, there is a much greater chance of spotting wildlife. There are several waterfalls on the slopes, and hot springs to soak in inside the crater. Elephant and buffalo live on its lower slopes, as do antelope and monkeys including the Black-and-white Colobus and Blue Monkey.

3. Mount Satima: 13,127ft

Mount Satima is the third highest mountain in Kenya, at 13,127 feet above sea level. It is the highest part of the Aberdare mountain range in Aberdare National Park. The Masai name, Oldoinyo Lesatima translates as “mountain of the bull calf.” 

Set along the eastern side of the Great Rift Valley, Satima is surrounded by a series of volcanic cones called “the Dragon’s Teeth.” The top of Mount Setima offers breathtaking views of the Rift Valley, the Aberdares and, on a clear day, Lake Naivasha and Mount Kenya. The mountain is popular with both birdwatchers and trekkers; most climbs take less than a day.

Hiking Satima is regarded as one of the most scenic and gentle of all the Aberdare trails, with the route rounding escarpments above rolling valleys and hills covered in beautiful alpine flowers and greenery.

4. Kinangop: 8200ft

A dormant volcano, Mount Kinangop in the southern Aberdares overlooks the Kinangop Plateau to the west and the Great Rift Valley beyond. It is located within Aberdare National Park and is the second highest mountain in the Aberdares, after Satima.

Cloaked in bamboo forest, tussock grasses, and open moorlands, the mountain is wildly popular with birders due to the number of rare and endangered birds there. These include the endangered Sharpe’s longclaw, endangered grey crowned crane, the Aberdare cisticola and the long-tailed widowbird. The area is internationally recognized as an Important Bird Area as it is home to approximately 200 bird species, many of which are threatened.

5. Nakugen: 11,580ft 

At 11,580 feet above sea level, Nakugen is the fifth highest mountain in Kenya and the highest point of the Cherang’any Hills in the western highlands. The hills are one of Kenya’s five main forests and catchment areas, divided by the Mau Escarpment which rises from the border with Tanzania up to the hills.

The Cherangani Hills have been found to contain iron ore, white quartzite, and red garnets among other rocks and minerals. From a distance, you can see forested ridges and sharp gorges in and round the hills, which form the source of Moiben River. The hills are home to the Sengwer, a community of hunter-gatherers who have been increasingly marginalized, as well as the unique white-bearded De Brazza’s monkey, which live in small groups and forage on the forest floor, using long limbs and tails to move from tree to tree.

To get a glimpse of these giant East African mountains up close, plan a Kenya safari or trek with Natural World today.