Meru | |
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Town | |
  Meru | |
| Coordinates: 0°03′N37°39′E / 0.050°N 37.650°E | |
| Country | Kenya |
| County | Meru County |
| Founded | 1911 |
| Population (2019 census) | 80,191 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| Website | http://meru.go.ke/ |
Meru is a town in eastern Kenya. It is the headquarters of the Meru County, and the seventh largest urban centre in the country. Meru urban center has a population of 80,191 residents (2019). [1]
The town is located at 0.047035 degrees north and 37.649803 degrees east, on the northeast slopes of Mount Kenya. The Kathita River passes adjacent to the town. The main administrative part of the town is on the north side of the Kathita River. While the south side of the river is where residential areas are situated. Meru Town is situated about 8 km north of the equator, at an altitude of approximately 1500 m, in an area of mixed forest and clearings, small towns, villages and rural farms. The town is predominantly populated by the Ameru people, a Bantu ethnic group. In addition there are other people having different and diverse religions, cultures and all walks of life who live, trade and work in this agricultural and commercial town.
Meru town's first District Commissioner was Edward Butler Horne. The Meru nicknamed him Kangangi, meaning the little wanderer due to his short stature and the fact that he traveled around Meru a lot as he surveyed the District. This was at a time when the Meru community lived a fairly settled life in ridge-top communities. The city's foundation in its present location was as a result of the military limitations of E. B. Horne's original camp at Mwitari's (homestead). [2]
In 1912, according to Madeleine Laverne Platts, wife of W. A. F. Platts, Meru's first Assistant District Commissioner:
"Short [E. B.] Horne had laid out a nice little golf course. 500 local girls were paid to cut the grass by plucking it out with their fingers. Next to the golf course stood a large, handsome log house, in which the door opened to reveal mud floors on which a large hat-stand stood gaunt and proud within a pool of water." [3]
As E.B. Horne was settling in Meru, Methodist leaders were seeking expansion. John B. Griffiths, a Welshman minister previously working at the Kenya coast, petitioned the colonial government to grant the entire Embu region to the Methodists as an exclusive religious sphere. The request was denied because the government considered it unsafe. Griffiths then applied a second time, requesting that the comparatively "peaceful" Meru district be regarded as the exclusive sphere of the United Methodist church. In December 1909 the government agreed. [4] Griffiths's party arrived at "Fort Meru" in October 1909, to be met by E. B. Horne who allotted the Methodists a plot of land at Ka-Aga. This was then a spirit forest, known to the Meru as the “place of curse removers [Aga]”, less than two miles north east of his new administrative headquarters.
Griffiths's subsequent report of his expedition described Meru as a land of "hills, valleys, and innumerable streams." He found it
"unlike any other area in Africa: Its hills are covered with ferns, hedges are thick with blackberry bushes, and in the streams watercress abounds . . . [and] mosquitoes are unknown. . . . We have been toiling for fifty years in the sweltering climate of the coast, contending with tremendous difficulties, bitter disappointments and deaths. We have been for years meditating upon seeking another and better country in which our men can live and labor and reap. SIR, HERE IT IS. THE FUTURE OF OUR EAST AFRICAN MISSION LIES HERE. I implore the committee to enter it”. [4]
In January 1912, Griffiths and Reverend Frank Mimmack occupied the allotted site and begun construction of the first buildings. They were later joined by Rev. Reginald T. Worthington. This site in Kaaga has grown to be Meru's Education Centre, with a National School, A leading school for students with special needs, two provincial schools and two Primary schools.
In 1956, The Methodist Mission approached the Meru County Council and requested to be allotted land. Their request was granted and they were allotted 50 acres of land where they established the Methodist Training Institute in 1958. This institute grew over the years and merged with two other colleges to become The Kenya Methodist University.
Meru has a cool subtropical highland climate (Csb) with heavy rainfall from March to May and from October to December. It has little rainfall in January and February and from June to September.
| Climate data for Meru | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27.3 (81.1) | 28.3 (82.9) | 28.8 (83.8) | 27.8 (82.0) | 26.6 (79.9) | 25.3 (77.5) | 24.6 (76.3) | 25.2 (77.4) | 27.4 (81.3) | 28.3 (82.9) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.2 (79.2) | 26.9 (80.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 18.7 (65.7) | 19.3 (66.7) | 19.7 (67.5) | 19.3 (66.7) | 18.4 (65.1) | 17.3 (63.1) | 16.7 (62.1) | 17.2 (63.0) | 18.5 (65.3) | 19.4 (66.9) | 18.7 (65.7) | 18.1 (64.6) | 18.4 (65.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 10.1 (50.2) | 10.3 (50.5) | 10.7 (51.3) | 10.8 (51.4) | 10.2 (50.4) | 9.3 (48.7) | 8.9 (48.0) | 9.2 (48.6) | 9.7 (49.5) | 10.6 (51.1) | 10.7 (51.3) | 10.1 (50.2) | 10.0 (50.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 52 (2.0) | 40 (1.6) | 128 (5.0) | 332 (13.1) | 160 (6.3) | 11 (0.4) | 13 (0.5) | 16 (0.6) | 22 (0.9) | 294 (11.6) | 386 (15.2) | 148 (5.8) | 1,602 (63) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org [5] | |||||||||||||
The town of Meru is linked to Nairobi by a tarmac road named B6, from the south around the east side of Mount Kenya, via Embu, or from the northwest around the west and north side of Mount Kenya, via Nanyuki and Timau. An international airport is situated at Isiolo, 35 Kilometres away, via a new tarmac road through Ruiri. Within the town, the roads have seen a lot of improvement after the maintenance of urban roads was transferred to the Kenya Urban Roads Authority, which in turn set up its Upper Eastern Regional Headquarters in Meru.
Meru town is a jumping-off place for Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves and Lewa Conservancy, all some distance north of Meru, with Samburu and Buffalo Springs via Isiolo, and Meru National Park, to the northeast of Meru, via Maua in the Nyambene Hills.
The Meru Museum is housed in Meru's first District Commissioner's Office, built by E. B. Horne. It preserves the historical and cultural artifacts of the Meru people. [6]
It is at Rutundu log cabins 20 Kilometre west of Meru City that Prince William proposed to the Duchess of Cambridge. The Meru side of Mt. Kenya National Park has tourist attractions of worth which include Vivvien Falls, Semwe Salt lick, Ithanguni, Lake Alice, Lake Ellis and Sacred Lake.
Meru has good hotels and restaurants. They include:
Meru town is the Commercial capital of Northern and Eastern Kenya. It hosts a Central Bank of Kenya’s Currency Centre serving the North Eastern Half of Kenya. Meru has 22 bank branches. Kenya's Banks, Equity, Postbank, Barclays, Standard Chartered Co-Operative, Diamond Trust, National Bank and Family Bank, CBA, Fina Bank, K-rep Bank, Eco-BAnk, CFC stanbic, NIC, Housing Finance, KCB, Bank of Baroda, have branches in the town while several micro-finance institutions are also available. Mwalimu Cooperative Savings & Credit Society Limited, (Mwalimu Sacco), the largest Sacco in Kenya, maintains a branch in Meru. The town is the business and agricultural centre for north-eastern Kenya.
Meru town is an educational centre for the northeast of Kenya. There are many primary and secondary schools, including the Meru Primary, Meru School, Kaaga Girls, Kaaga Boys just to name a few. There are also technical schools, the Meru Technical Institute being the major one. There are also teacher training colleges, campuses of various universities including Egerton, Nairobi, among others. Its main universities are, Meru University College of Science and Technology (MUCST) and Kenya Methodist University, both of which have their main campus within and near Meru town.
Some other institutions of higher learning in Meru town include:
Meru County also has both public and private schools. However, some children are orphaned and vulnerable hence cannot access formal education. NGOs such as Ripples International campaigns for the protection of such children. It also has a model primary school called the Nahal Academy.
The Kenya Methodist University (KeMU) is a chartered private university founded by the Methodist Church in Kenya. It is situated within woodland on the north eastern slopes of Mount Kenya, five kilometers from Meru Town. The development of KeMU is based on the 1906 Methodist Church education policy that resulted in the development of schools, industrial institutes and colleges.
The Eastern Province of Kenya was one of 8 Provinces of Kenya. Its northern boundary ran along with that of Ethiopia; the North Eastern Province and Coast Province lay to the east and south; and the remainder of Kenya's provinces, including Central Province, ran along its western border. The provincial capital was Embu.
Embu is a town located approximately 125 kilometres (78 mi) northeast of Nairobi towards Mount Kenya. Embu served as the provincial capital of the former Eastern Province and currently serves as the headquarters of Embu County in Kenya. Located on the south-eastern foothills of Mount Kenya, the Municipality of Embu had a population of 204,979 in 2019 census. Embu is also the 8th Largest Municipality in Kenya. It is the commercial hub of the Central Eastern part of Kenya and provides an avenue for trade, tourism and highway transit between the national capital and the Northern Frontier.
Meru County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya. It borders Isiolo County to the north, Tharaka-Nithi County to the South, Nyeri County to the southwest and Laikipia County to the west. The home of the Meru people, Meru County has a population of 1.35 million people.
Isiolo is a town in Isiolo County, of which it is the capital. It is located in the upper eastern region of Kenya and is geographically considered the center of the country Kenya. It lies 285 kilometers north of the capital Nairobi. The town grew around the local military camps, much of the population being descendants of former Somali soldiers who had fought in World War I as well as other Cushitic-speaking pastoral communities and the Ameru community. The name Isiolo originates from the Somali word ' Is ilow' which translates to forget yourself. It was a term that the local Somalis would tell newcomers who had the intention of moving back to Somalia when Kenya gained independence. The town has an estimated population of 78,250, most of them living around the outskirts of the town. Like most African cities, there has been a steady increase in the urban population in recent years, especially moving from as far as Moyale, Marsabit and Mandera. Isiolo town is also becoming a centre of interest because of its newly acquired status as a resort city cashing in on the popular Samburu and Shaba Game reserves, which have become preferred destinations after the famed Maasai Mara. Isiolo lies along the long A2 Road, leading towards Marsabit and Moyale much further north.
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The Meru or Amîîrú are a Bantu ethnic group that inhabit the Meru region of Kenya. The region is situated on the fertile lands of the north and eastern slopes of Mount Kenya in the former Eastern Province.
Kenyatta University (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Nairobi. It acquired the status of university in 1985, being the third university after University of Nairobi (1970) and Moi University (1984). As of October 2014, it was one of 23 public universities in the country.
Laikipia County is one of the 47 Counties of Kenya, located on the Equator in the former Rift Valley Province of the Country. Laikipia is a cosmopolitan County and is Listed as County number 31. The county has two major urban centres: Nanyuki to the southeast, and Nyahururu to the southwest. Its County government headquarters town is Rumuruti. The County lies between latitudes 0° 18" South and 0° 51" North and between longitude 36° 11" and 37° 24' East. It borders Samburu County to the North, Isiolo County to the North East, Meru County to the East, Nyeri County to the South East, Nyandarua County to the South, Nakuru County to the South West and Baringo County to the West.
Isiolo County is a county in the former Eastern Province of Kenya. Its population is 268,002 and its capital and largest city is Isiolo. Isiolo County is to be the first county to be developed as part of the Kenya Vision 2030 program. Other upcoming urban centres are: Garbatulla, Modogashe, Kinna, Merti and Oldonyiro.The county is home to Sakuye and Borana tribes but also has a significant number of people from Turkana, Samburu, Gabra, Garre and Meru communities.
Local authorities in Kenya are the bodies controlling local governance in urban areas in Kenya.
Tharaka-Nithi County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya. It was created from Kenya's Eastern Province. The county has an area of 2609 km2 and as of the 2019 census a population of 393,177.
Nkubu is a town in Kenya. It is located on the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya, within Meru County. It falls in one of the most-fertile and best-watered parts of Africa, with tea, coffee and dairy farming as the main economic activities in the area. It is also the lead town in South Imenti Constituency.
Runyenjes is the second largest town in Embu County, Kenya. It is located about 150 km from Nairobi, and 75 km from Mount Kenya, at an altitude of 1500m.The population is estimated at 58,000 people, the majority of which are the Embu People who speak Kiembu, a Bantu language, as well as Kiswahili and English, the two official languages in Kenya. The area offers scenic views, with densely wooded hills, gentle valleys, flowing streams and rivers, waterfalls, as well as small-scale farms.
Sub-counties, also known as Districts, are the decentralised units through which government of Kenya provides functions and services. At national level, sub-counties take a more administrative function like security, statistical purposes, provision of government services, etc. Even though the sub-counties are divisions of counties, powers to create new national sub-counties lies with the national government. As of 2023, there are 314 sub-counties, compared to 290 constituencies. A deputy county commissioner is appointed by the state to lead each sub-county. The sub-counties are further divided into divisions, locations and sub-locations.
Mwalimu Cooperative Savings and Credit Society Limited, also known as Mwalimu National Sacco Limited, but often referred to as Mwalimu Sacco, is a savings and credit co-operative society (Sacco) in Kenya, the largest economy in the East African Community. It is an institutional Sacco, composed of the staff of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), TSC teachers in secondary and tertiary institutions, TSC teachers in elementary schools, the staff of Mwalimu National Sacco Limited and the spouses of the above members, when formally gainfully employed. The society is licensed and regulated by the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority.
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Meru Twin Towers, also Meru Church Towers, or Meru Destiny Towers, is a real estate development, planned in the town of Meru, the county seat of Meru County in the Eastern part of Kenya. The mixed use twin towers are owned by the developers, the Jesus House of Praise International Church.
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