The Alliance Française de Nairobi was founded in 1949. It was situated along Tom Mboya Street, known as Victoria Street. Over the last sixty years, the Alliance Française de Kenya has developed into one of the largest on the African continent with some 4,000 students learning the French language every year and a leading cultural space.

In order to meet the growing demand for the French language in Nairobi, an annex in Buruburu was created in 2006.