Nyahururu

Last updated

Nyahururu
Town
Thomson's Falls.jpg
Thomson's Falls in Nyahururu.
Nyahururu
CountryFlag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
County Laikipia County
Nyahururu Sub County 58,943 [1]
Elevation
2,303 m (7,556 ft)
Website http://www.nyahururu.net/

Nyahururu (formerly known as Thomson Falls) is a town in Kenya, lying north east of Nakuru. The town derives its name from the Maasai word e-naiwurruwurr, meaning waterfall and/or windy or place of storms. [2] It is located in Laikipia County. Despite this, Nyahururu formerly functioned as the administrative capital of Nyandarua District, before it became a county, until the headquarters was shifted to Ol Kalou. There have been calls for a reversal. [3] The town has an urban population of 36,450. [4] The town still continues to be a central economic power of the immediate former district of Nyandarua. For that reason, the town has strong economic ties to the two counties.

Contents

History

Nyahururu was founded as Thomson's Falls, being named after the 74 metres (243 ft) high Thomson's Falls on Ewaso Narok river, a tributary of the Ewaso Nyiro River, which drains from the Aberdare mountain ranges. It is on the Junction of Ol Kalou-Rumuruti road and the Nyeri-Nakuru road. Settlers were more interested in the rich lands of the neighboring environments. Lord Maurice Egerton had the largest allocation of land neighboring the town. The town grew around a railway from Gilgil opened in 1929 (now effectively abandoned). The town was once an important player in the timber milling industry, and the now defunct National Pencil Company had a factory there. It is also an important milk processing hub.

Economy and people

The region around Nyahururu is mainly agricultural. To the North, Ol Ngarua is famous for its maize, while Shamata to the south is a major producer of potatoes. Lately, flower farming has brought new life to Nyahururu. Suera Flowers is a pioneer in this venture. The cool temperate weather, land availability and cheap labor may be some of the attractions to flower farming.

The town is also a commercial centre. It has many supermarkets such as Spears and Mugo supermarkets. Large banks in Kenya also have their branches situated in the town. Some of the banks in Nyahururu town are Barclays Bank, Equity, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), Cooperative Bank, Family Bank, Faulu Kenya and Kenya Women Microfinance Bank Limited.

The town has a number of hotels, including The Panari Resort, Eastwards Hotel, Kawa Falls Hotel, Laikipia Comfort Hotel, and Thompson Falls Lodge Hotel.

The town heavily relies on the transport industry. There are major highways linking the town to cities such as Nairobi, Nakuru and Nyeri. Most of these roads are now in good condition, and properly paved.

Nyahururu is also frequented by marathon and cross-country runners for practicing before major events due to its high altitude.

Samuel Wanjiru, the Olympic Marathon Record holder and the first Kenyan to win the Marathon at the Olympics, called Nyahururu home until his death on May 16, 2011. Other notables from Nyahururu are Bedan Karoki, John Ngugi and Godfrey Gitahi Kariuki.

Education

Laikipia University has two campuses, one in Nakuru, and the other on the outskirts of Nyahururu town. It also has several highly sought-after private schools. It has a National Polytechnique, Nyandarua Institute of Science and Technology, located on the outskirts of the town, on your way to Ol Kalau, two medical colleges, Nyahururu Medical Training College (NMTC) and Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC). Some of the large private schools within Nyahururu Town are Nyahururu Highway Schools, Busara Forest View Academy and Nyahururu Elite Schools. Large public schools include Nyandarua Boarding Primary School, District Education Board, Bishop Louis Ngarenarok, Ndururumo High School, Nyahururu Boys High School, and Ndururi High School.

The Pan African School of Theology, an evangelical theological college founded in 2006, is located near the town. Another Bible school is the Emmanuel Bible Institute. The Institute offers diplomas and certificates in theology.

Religion

Nyahururu is predominantly Christian, with Catholic and Protestant churches. Redeemed Gospel Church is one of the major Pentecostal Churches with its Regional Headquarters in town and many other branches in the outskirts.

Incidents

In 2010, Nyahururu was the site of an internationally reported incident in which police rescued a woman who was under threat of lynching after she shoplifted two Bibles from a supermarket. [5]

In September, 2008, residents of the town were shocked to see a blanket of hail resembling snow covering their land following a thunderstorm. "I have not seen such a thing ever since I was born," said one surprised resident of Nyahururu. Cold weather kept the hailstones from melting quickly, as hail usually does in western Kenya. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nyeri</span> City in Nyeri County, Kenya

Nyeri is a town situated in the Central Highlands of Kenya. It is the county headquarters of Nyeri County and was the central administrative headquarters of the country's former Central Province. Following the dissolution of the former provinces by Kenya's new constitution on 26 August 2010, the city is situated about 150 km north of Kenya's capital Nairobi, in the country's densely populated and fertile Central Highlands, lying between the eastern base of the Aberdare (Nyandarua) Range, which forms part of the eastern end of the Great Rift Valley, and the western slopes of Mount Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nakuru</span> City in Nakuru County, Kenya

Nakuru is a city in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. It is the capital of Nakuru County, and it is the fourth largest city in Kenya and the largest in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya|Rift Valley region. As of 2019, Nakuru has an urban population of 570,674, making it the largest urban center in the Rift Valley, above Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County. The city lies along the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway, 160 kilometres (99 mi) from Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nakuru County</span> County in Kenya

Nakuru County is a county in Kenya. It is county number 32 out of the 47 Kenyan counties. Nakuru County is a host to Kenya's Fourth City – Nakuru City. On 1 December 2021, President Uhuru Kenyatta awarded a City Charter status to Nakuru, ranking it with Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu as the cities in Kenya. With a population of 2,162,202, it is the third most populous county in Kenya after Nairobi County and Kiambu County, in that order. With an area of 7,496.5 km2, it is Kenya's 19th largest county in size. Until 21 August 2010, it formed part of Rift Valley Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberdare Range</span> Mountain range in Kenya

The Aberdare Range is a 160 km (99 mi) long mountain range of upland, north of Kenya's capital Nairobi with an average elevation of 3,500 metres (11,480 ft). It straddles the counties of Nyandarua, Nyeri, Muranga, Kiambu and Laikipia. The mountain range is located in west central Kenya, northeast of Naivasha and Gilgil and lies just south of the Equator. The mountain range is called Nyandarua among the Agikuyu people in whose territory this forest and mountain range is located. The name Nyandarua comes from the Kikuyu word rwandarua meaning a drying hide, due to the distinctive fold of its silhouette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laikipia County</span> County in Kenya

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanyuki</span> Town in Laikipia County, Kenya

Nanyuki is a market town in Laikipia County of Kenya lying northwest of Mount Kenya along the A2 road and at the terminus of the branch railway from Nairobi. The name is derived from Enyaanyukie Maasai word for resemblance.

Shamata is a constituency ward of the Ndaragwa Constituency of Kenya's Nyandarua County. It is located 222 kilometres (138 mi) from Nairobi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilgil</span>

Gilgil, Kenya, is a town in Nakuru County, Kenya. The town is located between Naivasha and Nakuru and along the Nairobi - Nakuru highway. It is to the west of the Gilgil River, which flows south to feed Lake Naivasha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Local authorities of Kenya</span> Bodies controlling local governance in urban areas in Kenya

Local authorities in Kenya are the bodies controlling local governance in urban areas in Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nyandarua County</span> County in Kenya

Nyandarua County is a county in the former Central Province of Kenya, with its capital and largest town being Ol Kalou. Formerly, the capital was Nyahururu, which is now part of Laikipia County. Nyandarua County had a population of 596,268 in 2009 and 638,289 in 2019 and covers an area of 3,304 km2. The county is located on the northwestern part of the old Central Province, and contains the Aberdare Ranges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ewaso Ng'iro</span> River in Kenya

Ewaso Ng'iro, also called Ewaso Nyiro, is a river in Kenya which rises on the west side of Mount Kenya and flows north, then east and finally south-east, passing through Somalia where it joins the Jubba River. The river's name is derived from the local community's language, and means river of brown or muddy water. Downstream, the intermittent stream in Somalia is also called Lagh Dera.

Ol Kalou is a town in Kenya which is the capital of Nyandarua County of the former Central Province. It is located west of the Aberdare range and 40 kilometres east of Nakuru. Ol Kalou is connected by road to Gilgil, Nyahururu and Nakuru. Ol Kalou forms a town council with a population of 47,795, of whom 15,186 are classified urban.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomson's Falls</span>

Thomson's Falls is a 74 metres (243 ft) waterfall on the Ewaso Ng'iro River in Central Rift Valley Kenya, a few kilometres from Lake Ol Bolossat, which drains from the Aberdare Range. It is situated 3 kilometres (2 mi) from the town of Nyahururu, at 2,360 metres (7,740 ft) elevation. In 1883, Joseph Thomson was the first European to reach Thomson Falls and named them for his father. Thomson wrote:

I was impressed mightily by the stupendous thundering of the waters which in magnificent mass plunged down several hundred feet into a fearful gloomy gorge. ... The crevices give support to a splendid drapery of creepers and bushes, the spray from the waters yielding the necessary sustenance. Among other plants wild bananas are to be seen.

Nakuru County Council is a defunct local authority in Kenya. It was one of the largest county councils in the country. It is home to a population of around 1.6 million, living on some 5,000 square kilometres in the central part of the country. The Nakuru area has a rich history, with human settlements dating back more than 3,000 years. The population is very diverse, with residents that have migratory background from different parts of the country. According to 2002 government statistics, on a population total of 1,312,555, the youth population up to age 25 years was 56%. The percentage of pre-primary and primary school going age residents was 31%, and the County’s total labour force population was 54%. The population growth rate is 3.4%.

Karugutu is a settlement in Kenya's Nyandarua County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sub-Counties of Kenya</span>

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.

Daniel Waithaka Mwangi served as the previous governor of Nyandarua County in central Kenya from 2013 to 2017. He was chosen during the 4 March 2013 general elections in Kenya.

Laikipia University is a Kenyan University located in Nyahururu. It is a premier university of Education (Arts). It has 1 campus: Main Campus.

Nyandarua District was an administrative district in the Central Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Ol Kalou. Formerly the capital was Nyahururu, but was moved to Laikipia District. Nyandarua District had a population of 479,902 and an area of 3,304 km². The district was located in the northwestern part of the Central Province, west of the Aberdare Range.

References

  1. Laikipia County Government (2014) First County Integrated Development Plan 2013-2017 Government of Kenya
  2. "How the Maasai labelled most of Kenya". The Standard. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  3. [usurped]
  4. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2013-10-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. James Munyeki, Copy Archived from the original: Mob attacks woman caught stealing Bible [ permanent dead link ] in the Standard (Kenya), 2010 June 25 (accessed 2010 June 24).
  6. "bbc" . Retrieved 22 August 2019.

0°2′N36°22′E / 0.033°N 36.367°E / 0.033; 36.367