Kahawa is a mixed-use settlement spanning the Kiambu and Nairobi county borders along Thika Road. It is electorally divided into four wards across the two counties: Kahawa and Kahawa West wards in Nairobi county and Kahawa Wendani and Kahawa Sukari wards in Kiambu county. Despite its proximity to the city, half of it is administratively in Ruiru, while some parts, such as Kenyatta University, Kahawa Barracks, Kiwanja and Githurai 44, are administratively in Kasarani.

The Kahawa region

Originally a coffee growing region, the Kahawa region is generally subdivided into four electoral wards as follows:

Kahawa Barracks

The Kahawa Barracks area (which partly forms the border with Nairobi County) was the site of a British Army base before Kenya's independence and now hosts the Kahawa Army Base of the Kenyan Army.

Transport

Kahawa lies to the north of Githurai, another inter-county suburb and settlement along the Kenya-Uganda Railway. In 2016, this town started to be served by suburban trains of the Nairobi rail service.