Lemi Kura is the newest sub-city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, created in October 2020 from parts of Bole and Yeka. It is the eleventh sub-city and covers the eastern edge of the capital, from the CMC and Summit areas out to Ayat and Bole Arabsa. Its administration office stands at Ayat, by Derartu Tulu Square.
Lemi Kura borders Yeka to the north-west and Bole to the south-west, with the Oromia region beyond its eastern boundary. It has no separate census figure, because Ethiopia’s last national census was held in 2007 and the sub-city did not exist then.
Neighborhoods & Areas
- Ayat
- Ayat Zone 2
- Ayat Zone 3
- Ayat Zone 5
- Bole Arabsa
- CMC
- Kotebe
- Summit
These names were listed under Bole and Yeka before the 2020 reorganisation, which is why older maps and address records still place them there. Ayat and Summit grew from private real-estate developments in the 1990s and 2000s. Bole Arabsa is one of the largest condominium sites in the country. CMC takes its name from an Italian construction company that built housing there decades ago.
Districts
Lemi Kura is divided into 14 woredas, numbered 1 to 14, according to the Addis Ababa Civil Registration and Residency Service Agency. The sub-city administration office is at Ayat, around Derartu Tulu Square.
Landmarks & Institutions
Derartu Tulu Square, named for the Olympic distance runner, is the civic centre of the sub-city and the reference point most residents use for the administration offices.
Kotebe University of Education stands in the Kotebe area, the country’s specialist institution for teacher training. The Bole Arabsa housing site, built under the government condominium programme, transferred tens of thousands of units to residents from the mid-2010s and remains the largest single settlement in the sub-city.
Lemi Kura has almost no colonial-era or imperial-era fabric. It is a sub-city of condominium blocks, gated compounds and new arterial roads, built out over roughly thirty years on what was farmland at the city edge.
Population
No official population figure exists for Lemi Kura on its own. The 2007 census predates the sub-city, and the Ethiopian Statistics Service projections for 2022 — 435,421 for Bole and 488,537 for Yeka — are drawn on the pre-2020 boundaries and still include everyone now living in Lemi Kura.
The 14 woredas put Lemi Kura mid-range among the eleven sub-cities by administrative size, ahead of Arada, Gullele, Lideta and Kirkos. Amharic is the everyday language, with Oromo common near the eastern boundary with the Oromia region.
Getting Around
The Addis Ababa Light Rail Green Line terminates at Ayat, inside Lemi Kura, and runs 17.4 km west through Megenagna and the city centre to Torhailoch. That gives the sub-city the best rail connection on the eastern side of the capital. The line opened on 9 November 2015.
Megenagna, just over the boundary in Yeka, is the main minibus taxi interchange for journeys into Lemi Kura. The Goro and Ayat roads carry most vehicle traffic. Bole International Airport is about 8 km to the south-west.
FAQ
How many sub-cities does Addis Ababa have?
Eleven. Lemi Kura was added as the eleventh in October 2020; before that there were ten.
When was Lemi Kura created?
The Addis Ababa City Council approved the restructuring proclamation on 20 October 2020.
Which sub-cities did Lemi Kura come from?
Bole and Yeka. Areas including Ayat, Bole Arabsa, CMC and Summit moved into the new sub-city.
How many woredas does Lemi Kura have?
Fourteen, numbered 1 to 14.
What is the population of Lemi Kura?
There is no separate official figure. Ethiopia’s last census was in 2007, before the sub-city existed, and current projections are published on the old ten-sub-city boundaries.
Where is the Lemi Kura sub-city office?
At Ayat, around Derartu Tulu Square.
Does the light rail reach Lemi Kura?
Yes. Ayat is the eastern terminus of the Green Line.