It is approximately 2.6 kilometres (1.6 mi) east of the central business district of Nairobi.

Starehe is located approximately 2.6 kilometres (1.6 mi) east of Nairobi's central business district.

It is straddled by General Waruingi Road to the south and borders other neighbourhoods such as Kariokor, Pumwani and Ziwani.

Built between 1942 and 1946, based on the design by Kenya Government architect Peter Dangerfield, Starehe provided for single-family houses and dormitories suitable for bachelors.

Starehe was the second of the three estates in Nairobi to employ the garden city concept after Ziwani then Kaloleni.