Nairobi (Forest Road) Cemetery
- Country Kenya
- Total identified casualties 78 Find these casualties
- Identified casualties from First & Second World War
- GPS Coordinates Latitude: -1.26647, Longitude: 36.83398
Location information
Forest Road Cemetery is a large civil cemetery about 3 kilometres to the north of the city centre, just off the main road to Thika. It is situated near the roundabout at the Pangani end of Forest Road. The main war graves plot will be found at the bottom end of the cemetery access road, and there are other scattered war graves within the cemetery.
Visiting information
ARRIVAL
The CWGC section is not signposted, it is positioned towards the northern (top- centre) part of the public cemetery when viewing from the road.
PARKING
It is possible to park along the side of internal tracks within the cemetery.
The ground is firm and flat, the surface compact earth and sand.
ACCESS, LAYOUT AND MAIN ENTRANCE
Access into the cemetery is via an unsurfaced, uneven track off a busy road (A2). A 200 mm high kerb is in front of the entrance into the site through a opening broken into the boundary wall. The track leads directly to the CWGC section.
There is an entrance gate at the western end of the cemetery, with a pedestrian opening adjacent. This gate may be locked, and is not advised to walk into the site from the main road. Tracks within the cemetery lead to the CWGC section in the centre rear part of the cemetery.
There is a stone and concrete storm drainage channel along one side of the CWGC section. Care should be taken when crossing the channel from the outer track into the burial area.
The burial area is surrounded with a stepped stone wall and hedge. There are two concrete bollards in an opening in the hedge in the middle of the CWGC section of the cemetery in front of the Cross of Sacrifice. There is a concrete ramp up from the dirt track leading to the drainage channel. A concrete ramp from the channel leads down into the cemetery. A 100mm wide soil strip leads to the grass surface of the cemetery.
The cemetery is on a gentle slope downwards from the entrance into the CWGC section.
The internal cemetery paths are grass, the ground is firm.
The Cross of Sacrifice is in centre of cemetery.
ALTERNATIVE ACCESS
There is no alternative access into the cemetery.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This cemetery is open daily from 06:00 to 18:00.
Visitors are advised to be vigilant and not to carry valuables when visiting the site.
History information
During the Second World War, Nairobi was the headquarters of the East African Force and the base for the conquest of Jubaland and Italian Somaliland, the liberation of British Somaliland and the sweep north-westwards to open Addis Ababa for the return of the Emperor. It was also a hospital centre; No.87 British General Hospital arrived in June 1943 and was still there in December 1945, while No.150 British General Hospital was there for a period in 1943.
Nairobi (Forest Road) Cemetery contains 73 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War. There are also five First World War burials and 38 non-war graves.