Located on Kendari Bay, it continues to be an important trade center, with the province's main port and airport.

According to local legend, Onggodo, a holy man, is thought to have arrived in the kingdom from the Maluku Islands.

[6]: 42–43  People in the region were united by the Kalo Sara, meaning "circle of tribal laws", a religious symbol of harmony, peace, and kinship, a large bracelet made of three rattan pieces tied together on a white napkin.

The three pieces of rattan have various meanings and interpretations, such as father, mother, and children, or government, religion, and tradition.

[8] Islam has been present in the kingdom since the early 15th century, especially after the foundation of the neighbouring Sultanate of Buton, just south of Konawe, brought by Buginese merchants from Makassar who mostly settled in coastal regions, and through trade.

The kingdom's governance structure did not change significantly, and many animist traditions were incorporated with Islamic beliefs by the people.

During this period, Konawe became a multicultural society, with merchants from Java, Makassar, and Maluku settling on the island.

[6]: 45–48 In 1828, the governor of the Dutch East Indies tasked a sailor named Jacques Nicholas Vosmaer with mapping the eastern coast of Sulawesi to find a suitable location for a trading post.

[5] According to reports from Vosmaer in 1839 and another Dutch official named van der Hart in 1853, villages around Kendari Bay where current city is located are settled by Bugis and Bajo traders and fisherman between 10 and 15 years prior to his journey.

In 1858, La Mangu, a noble from Ranome Eto, signed a treaty with the Dutch, as he wished to create a separate kingdom, Laiwoi, independent from Konawe.

Laiwoi would be located in Ranome Eto, and its founding was kept secret from Konawe royal council members.

[9]: 39–41 In 1905, following the end of the war against the Gowa Sultanate, the Dutch turned their attention to the eastern coast of Sulawesi.

La Mangu had died by now, but the Dutch maintained the plans to establish Laiwoi, approaching nobles from Ranome Eto with the treaty and finally, naming Saosao as king, increasing tensions with the Konawe nobility.

[9]:60 One month after the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence in August 1945, youth in the region created a militia headquartered in Kolaka.

The PRI (Indonesian Republican Youth) controlled the militia and spread its influence to cities and towns in Southeast Sulawesi, including Kendari.

In February 1946, Dutch troops occupied the large cities in the region; guerilla resistance by the Republicans continued until 1948.

[9]: 61–64  The city and the surrounding region became part of the State of East Indonesia, which was incorporated into the newly recognised Indonesian Republic a year later.

The city was heavily affected by the Darul Islam rebellion, which started in South Sulawesi but spread to the eastern coast.

[5] Due to its status as provincial capital, Kendari has been experiencing significant urbanization, making it prone to flooding and other disasters.

[18][19] The city is part of the 1st Southeast Sulawesi electoral district, which sends six of the 45 representatives to the provincial parliament.

[20] The city's economy consists largely of service-related sectors employing 77 percent of its workforce.

[29] Kendari is home to 28 large industrial companies and 446 registered small and medium-sized enterprises employing more than 1,500 people.

[32][33] Around 90 percent of Kendari's population are members of groups native to the region such as Tolaki, Muna, Buton, and Moronene; the rest are mostly migrants from other parts of Indonesia.

[39] It has over 6,000 active students, primarily undergraduates, mainly studying Islamic education and sharia economics.

[42] The library has seven floors, a cinema room, meeting spaces, an area for local artifacts, and a cafe.

[52][53] Kendari New Port, in the city, is an international seaport, managed by Pelindo IV, which is used for the export and import of goods from the region.

[60] For long-distance land travel, the city is served by Perum DAMRI with various routes to the city of Baubau, Kolaka Regency, and the towns of Raha, Ereke, and Tondasi inside the province as well as interprovince routes to Tana Toraja Regency and Makassar.

[63] Many online and print media companies are based in the city, largely serving southeastern Sulawesi.