Nairobi the capital of Kenya in 1907. After independence in 1963, Nairobi became the capital of the Republic of Kenya. During Kenya's colonial period, the city became a centre for the colony's coffee, tea and sisal industry. The city lies on the River Athi in the southern part of the country, and has an elevation of above sea level. With a population of 3.36 million in 2011, Nairobi is the second-largest city by population in the African Great Lakes region after Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. According to the 2009 census, in the administrative area of Nairobi, 3,138,295 inhabitants lived within .
Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Family, Nairobi administrative building for the archbishop's office was being built by the Chinese construction company Zhongxing Construction in 2011. The cathedral is the headquarters of the Archdiocese of Nairobi. The current archbishop is John Njue who was made a Cardinal in 2007. The Archdiocese of Nairobi contains an estimated population of 4 million people of which 1.6 million are thought to be Catholic. These 4,000 Christian communities are served by 182 clergy, eight university level education facilities and several places for retreat. Services are available through-out the week within the Cathedral and one of the chapels is always open. In addition