Kenya’s Capital City, Nairobi, and the coastal city of Mombasa received recognition in Africa’s 2025 cleanest cities ranking, according to a survey conducted by The Africa Report.
The survey, carried out in October 2025, collected responses from 7,877 residents across 41 cities, focusing specifically on urban cleanliness as a key indicator of city governance and attractiveness.
“This ranking is based on a survey carried out in October 2025 among 7,877 respondents in 41 cities across the continent,” the report confirmed.
In the ranking, Nairobi and Mombasa emerged as Kenya’s top performers, with Mombasa scoring 5.3 on the cleanliness index, placing 18th, and Nairobi scoring 5.0, ranking 20th.
Nairobi Ranked As Most Attractive City
Despite its position in cleanliness, Nairobi remains the third most attractive city overall, reflecting other factors beyond sanitation.
The survey identified Kigali, Rwanda, as the cleanest city in Africa, with a score of 9.4, followed by Rabat, Morocco, and Cotonou, Benin. Responding to the ranking, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir said it was a proud moment for the county.
“This recognition is the result of commitment, consistency, and the collective drive to do better every day. It affirms that when government and residents work together, real transformation is possible. We are not slowing down,” said Governor Nassir.
He added, “As we upscale our waste management efforts, our focus remains clear: a cleaner, healthier Mombasa where every resident lives with dignity. Together, we can achieve even more.”
Also Read: Nairobi CBD and Muthaiga Estate Selected as Pilot Zones for Nairobi’s New Physical Addressing System
Rank 2025 Previous City Cleanliness
Rank 2025 | Previous | City | Cleanliness Index | Global Index | Ranking of City’s Overall Attractiveness
—————————————————————————————————————
1 | 1 | Kigali | 9.4 | 6.64 | 2
2 | 2 | Rabat | 8.3 | 6.03 | 6
3 | 6 | Cotonou | 7.6 | 5.23 | 16
4 | | Tangier | 7.5 | 5.53 | 10
5 | | Marrakech | 7.3 | 5.04 | 20
6 | 14 | Abuja | 7.1 | 5.19 | 17
7 | 8 | Addis Ababa | 6.8 | 5.06 | 18
8 | 4 | Gaborone | 6.5 | 5.05 | 19
9 | 5 | Cape Town | 6.5 | 6.13 | 4
10 | 9 | Casablanca | 6.5 | 6.10 | 5
11 | | Pretoria | 6.3 | 5.59 | 9
12 | 3 | Alexandria | 6.0 | 5.50 | 11
13 | 13 | Abidjan | 5.9 | 5.48 | 13
14 | 19 | Algiers | 5.8 | 5.04 | 21
15 | 20 | Cairo | 5.5 | 7.00 | 1
16 | 17 | Libreville | 5.4 | 4.41 | 27
17 | 21 | Dakar | 5.4 | 4.92 | 23
18 | | Mombasa | 5.3 | 5.46 | 14
19 | | Dar es Salaam | 5.3 | 5.45 | 15
20 | 15 | Nairobi | 5.0 | 6.28 | 3
21 | 27 | Lagos | 5.0 | 5.87 | 8
22 | | Durban | 4.9 | 4.78 | 25
23 | 23 | Tunis | 4.9 | 4.98 | 22
24 | 10 | Accra | 4.8 | 5.48 | 12
25 | 16 | Lomé | 4.8 | 3.98 | 30
26 | 12 | Lusaka | 4.8 | 4.84 | 24
27 | 22 | Kampala | 4.6 | 4.54 | 26
28 | 25 | Maputo | 4.5 | 4.15 | 28
29 | 7 | Johannesburg | 4.4 | 5.95 | 7
30 | 29 | Harare | 3.9 | 4.10 | 29
How the Report Was Conducted
According to The Africa Report, urban cleanliness is a key issue across the continent, reflecting both public health and municipal governance standards.
Also Read: Nairobi Becomes the First County to Formalise Menstrual Leave
The publication notes that, based on a 2018 UN-Habitat study, municipal solid waste collection averages only 52% across Africa.
The African Clean Cities Platform (ACCP) estimates that more than 80% of this waste is poorly managed.
“The collection rate for municipal solid waste averages only 52%, according to a study carried out in 2018 by UN-Habitat and echoed by the African Clean Cities Platform (ACCP), which estimates that “more than 80%” of this solid waste is “poorly managed,” read the report in part.
With the continent experiencing the fastest urban growth rate in the world, the challenge of effective waste management is becoming increasingly urgent.
The Report placed cleanliness at the centre of its opinion poll in the exclusive ranking of the 30 most attractive cities in Africa.
This approach allows the publication to offer a separate ranking of the continent’s cleanest cities, based solely on survey responses from residents across the surveyed cities.
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