Nkayi
Nkayi Location in the Republic of the Congo
Coordinates: 4°11′3″S 13°17′18″E / 4.18417°S 13.28833°E / -4.18417; 13.28833
Country	Republic of the Congo
Department	Bouenza Department
District	Kayes District
Commune	Nkayi
Area
• Total	7.6 km2 (2.9 sq mi)
Elevation	181 m (594 ft)
Population  (2018)
• Total	100,783
• Density	13,000/km2 (34,000/sq mi)
Area code	242

Nkayi, also known as N'kayi, is a town and a commune^[1] in the Bouenza Department of the Republic of the Congo. It is the country's fourth largest city with a population of 100,783 (2018 census).

It is divided into 2 urban boroughs (arrondissements):

1. Mouana-Nto (Mouana Ntô)
2. Soulouka

Nkayi is a major sugar production centre in the country.

Transport

The city is served by a station on the national railway network, the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is home to Yokangassi Airport, also known as Nkayi Airport.

History

Situated in the fertile Niari Valley, the town was named Jacob in 1887. That was the name of the French engineer who led the first mission to select the best route for the Congo-Ocean Railway. Then the city began growing thanks to the thriving sugar cane plantations led by important agroindustries. In 1975, Jacob had a population of 25,000, and its name was changed to the native one of Nkayi.

The city is the fourth largest town in the Republic of the Congo since 1980.