Kayes, town, western Mali, western Africa. It lies along the Sénégal River. Kayes is both the terminus of Sénégal River traffic and an important stop on the Mali Railway (Regie des Chemins de Fer du Mali; in Senegal, Regie des Chemins de Fer du Senegal). Southeast of Kayes is the French fort of Medine, constructed in 1855 and the site of an unsuccessful siege in 1857 against the French by al-Hājj ʿUmar (founder of the Tukulor empire). The area in which Kayes is situated has an economy based on subsistence agriculture. The most important crop is peanuts (groundnuts), and some livestock is raised. Pop. (1998) 67,424; (2009) 127,368.