Nairobi has moved up in the rankings for the first time since we started rating cities. This was driven by an increased entrepreneurship score and some small improvements in LGBTQ+ inclusion. Nairobi has focused on creating a strong innovation ecosystem for years, which has led to a number of start-up hubs in the city. Most recently, Visa announced its plans to launch its first African innovation studio in Nairobi, citing “a fast-growing region with a tech-savvy population.” xxii

In fact one prominent community for entrepreneurs, Startup Grind, hosts networking mixers for LGBTQ+ founders in Nairobi, showcasing the connection between innovation and inclusion. xxiii

Additionally, Kenya became the first country in Africa to include intersex individuals in the national census.xxiv On top of improving social attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community, these could be signals for Nairobi’s continued climb in the ratings. However, continued criminalization of same-sex acts and low social acceptance of the community continues to keep it in the not open for business category.