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.[1] Following the dissolution of the former provinces by Kenya's new constitution on 26 August 2010,[2] 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.
The city population, according to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, was estimated at 140,338 inhabitants. However, the number is rapidly growing.[3] There is, however, a significant population of primarily Government and corporate workers who ordinarily reside in Nyeri but who, during the census, choose to be counted in their areas of origin or the areas where their families are residents.[4] The town has a relatively low cost of living in comparison to Nairobi and other major urban centres in Kenya. Located in Kenya's fertile highlands, food and water are plentiful and relatively affordable.[5][6]
Nyeri hosts the tomb of Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scout movement. It is also the home town of the late Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai. The town is also the home of the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT), founded by the local community in the early 1970s as an institute of technology, and converted into a fully fledged university in 2012.
History
Nyeri was the headquarter of Kenya's former Central Province and is now the largest town and new headquarter of the new Nyeri County (click to enlarge map).
Towards the end of 1902, as the British were establishing their colonial presence, Richard Meinertzhagen marched a strong military column meeting spirited resistance from the native Kikuyu warriors led by Wangombe Wa Ihura. The Kikuyu were eventually defeated.[7] After Meinertzhagen's victory, a decision was reached to site a British post close to a little hill on the slopes of Mt. Kenya. The Kikuyu called the hill Kia-Nyiri while their Maasai neighbours called the hill Na-aier. The post took its name from the little hill. On 18 December 1902, Nyeri was founded.[7]
Shortly after the establishment of the post, a trickle of European settlers and missionaries and Indian merchants began to migrate into Nyeri and the surrounding areas. The city soon burgeoned into a trading centre for white settler farmers who produced cattle, wheat and coffee. The city became particularly associated with the Happy Valley set in the first half of the twentieth century. The Nyeri Golf Club, The White Rhino Hotel, Outspan Hotel, and the Aberdare Country Club at the nearby Mweiga township are relics of those colonial days.
Demographics and culture
Ethnicity and language
The majority of Nyeri residents are members of Kenya's largest ethnic group, the Kikuyu, with residents generally being known as "Nyeri Kikuyu".[8] The Kikuyu language is widely spoken, along with Kenya's National language Swahili as well as Kenya's official language English.
Religion
Following the national pattern of Kenya being a predominantly Christian country, Christianity is the main religion. The main Christian denominations are Catholic-that hosts the Cathedral and the Archbishop's official residence-, Presbyterian, Anglican, Pentecostals and indigenous denominations, in that order. The older residents, who tend to attend the mainstream churches, are invariably more religious than the younger ones. Muslims, traditional African believers and Hindus, in declining order, make up a small minority.[9][10]
About 5 km from the city centre is the Mathari Mission settlement, a complex of several Catholic buildings and institutions, established by Italian missionaries at the beginning of the 20th century. The mission is composed of convents for nuns, schools, a teacher training college and other vocational colleges. It also hosts the Consolata Hospital and School of Nursing, which is staffed largely by nuns of the Consolata order. Nyeri is also the place where Blessed Stephanie Nyaatha was laid to rest.
The National Police Training College is situated in Kiganjo, 10.8 km from the city. There is a Medical Training College, a government nursing school, two polytechnic colleges, and several private and public secondary and primary schools such as Moi Nyeri Complex, Temple Road, DEB Muslim and Ngangarithi primary school. The town is also home to the Nyeri National Polytechnic.. Other technical training colleges in the town include Tetu TVC, Mathira TVC and Kieni Esat TVC as well as many vocational and technical training centres spread across the county. The Roman Catholic Church Archdiocese of Nyeri runs several schools, colleges, and hospitals. The town is also home to three national schools, Kagumo High School, Nyeri High School and the Bishop Gatimu Girls High School[14] in Nyeri. It is the home to prestigious extra county schools in the nation like Othaya Boys High School and Mahiga Girls Secondary School. St. Mary's Boys Secondary School Nyeri is another top-performing high school located in Nyeri's town.
Economy
The largest formal employer in Nyeri, being until recently the administrative headquarters of the former Central Province, is the Government of Kenya. The local Municipal Council and utility providers are also significant employers. The various sectors of the service industry, including retail, hospitality, banking, insurance, the charity industry, religious bodies especially the Catholic Church and professionals are also significant employers.[15]
The main industrial plants are a Coca-Cola bottling plant, a water and fruit juice bottling plant, several tea and coffee processing factories, a milk processing and packaging factory owned and run by the Kenya Co-operative Creameries Ltd, and a number of maize millers. There is also a wide range of largely unsophisticated light industries, including motor vehicle repair garages, electronics repair shops, furniture workshops, tailoring shops, and bakeries. Attractive investment opportunities exist within the Nyeri industrial area of Kiganjo which is served by the newly refurbished railway line and has ample land for industrial expansion.[16]
A major industry in Nyeri is farming,[17] which is mostly unmechanised.[18] The city urban area is actually part of the surrounding rural areas of greater Nyeri County, with farms within the municipality blending seamlessly into the rural area. The main cash crops are coffee and tea, grown mainly by smallholders who are organised into quasi-private state-supported and supervised co-operatives or companies for farm input distribution, basic processing and marketing purposes.
The main food crops are maize, the staple food in most of Kenya, legumes (especially beans and peas), tubers (mainly potatoes), and vegetables (especially tomatoes, cabbages, spinaches and kales). Livestock, mainly dairy cattle, goats, sheep, and chicken are also widely kept. Food crop and livestock farming are also done by smallholders, with marketing and distribution of surplus produce (after farmers' consumption) being done privately.[16]
Tourism is also significant, as there are many tourist destinations nearby, including the Aberdare and Mount Kenya National Parks, and a number of hotels offering conference tourism and short upcountry holidays. The Nyeri Museum is located within Nyeri town, it houses cultural artifacts and Kenya's colonial history.[19]
Infrastructure
Nyeri has tarmacked roads, and the county and national governments are upgrading many of them.[citation needed] Houses have drinkable water,[5] but sewage provision is through soak pits, pit latrines and septic tanks are still widespread.[citation needed] The city's topography allows nature and gravity to take care of most of the city's storm water drainage.[citation needed]
Phone services, especially mobile telephony, and internet services are widely available. A fibre optic cable network linking the city to offshore submarine cables recently[when?] reached Kenya's coast.[citation needed]
Transport
Nairobi-Nyeri highway
Nyeri is served by a reasonably well-maintained tarmac road network connecting it to Nairobi, Nakuru, Nanyuki, Othaya and other surrounding towns. The newly built Kenol-Marua 4 lane super highway ends few kilometers from Nyeri town,[20] Most transportation of cargo to and from Nyeri is by road, although the city has a largely underutilised railway station at Kiganjo (about six kilometres out of city towards Nanyuki) on the branchline of the railway from Nairobi to Nanyuki.
An airport and some airstrips serve the city: one at Mweiga (about 15 kilometres (9.3mi) out of city towards Nakuru) and another at Nyaribo, off the Nanyuki – Naromoru highway. The main mode of public passenger transport to, from, and within Nyeri is by way of fourteen-seater minibuses (matatu), though un-metered salon car taxis are also widely used. [citation needed]
Nyeri has many visitors to the Baden-Powell grave, the resting place of Lieutenant-GeneralLord Baden-Powell, a British commander in the Boer War and the founder of the Scouting Movement, who once wrote "the nearer to Nyeri the nearer to bliss".[21] He and his wife Olave, Lady Baden-Powell, G.B.E., are buried in the City cemetery. Baden-Powell had a cottage built, which he called "Paxtu". He lived there until his death, and it is now a small museum; it stands in the grounds of the Outspan Hotel. Nyeri remains a place of pilgrimage for the worldwide Scouting and Guiding Movements, with members congregating in the city from time to time for various activities and functions.
There are also visitors to the Italian War Memorial Chapel at Mathari, built in 1952 by the Italian government in honour of Royal Italian Army soldiers, prisoners of war, and other internees, from the time of the Second World War who died in East Africa, including 69 African recruits to the Italian forces, mostly Somalis. Among those buried at Mathari is Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, Viceroy of Italian East Africa, whose tomb is within the Chapel, in front of the altar.[22]
The chapel is not used for regular worship, but a special Mass is celebrated every 2 November in memory of the fallen soldiers and those who died in captivity. Covering the walls of the main church building are memorials for the many Italian servicemen who died during the war. Each memorial is in the form of a small oblong plaque indicating the name of the soldier, the battalion he served in, and the place where he died.
Nyeri is also the burial place of hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett, the author of Man-Eaters of Kumaon (1944), who also spent his final years in Paxtu, B-P's cottage.
Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya and Nyeri hill are near each other, as well as the Tetu hills 50 km to the North East. About 20 km from the city is Mount Kenya National Park. Mount Kenya is an extinct volcano lying astride the Equator. The mountain has two main snow-covered peaks – Batian (5 200 m) and Nelion (5 1880 m). It is the highest mountain in the country and the second, after Mount Kilimanjaro, in Africa.
The mountain slopes are covered in forest, bamboo, scrub and moorland giving way on high central peaks to rock, ice and snow. Its U-shaped glacial valleys, rugged snow-capped peaks, Afro-alpine desert, thirty lakes and eight different natural forest types and a variety of wildlife species make it a convergence of natural attractions. The wildlife found in the park include giant forest hog, tree hyrax, white-tailed mongoose, black leopard, mountain bongo, elephant, black rhino, suni, black-fronted duiker, mole-rat and over 130 species of birds.[23] Activities taking place in the park include game drives, nature walks, mountain climbing, wildlife viewing, camping and cave exploration.
The Aberdares
About fifteen kilometres out of Nyeri on the opposite side to Mt. Kenya is the Aberdare National Park. The Aberdares is an old volcanic mountain range with lower peaks due to a longer period of erosion. It offers views of Mount Kenya to the east and the Great Rift Valley to the west. Its unusual vegetation, rugged terrain, deep ravines cutting through its forested eastern and western slopes, clear water streams and waterfalls combine to create an area of great scenic beauty.[24] Its major attractions include the Lesatima and Kinangop peaks and many waterfalls, including the magnificent Karuru falls which drop 272 meters, Zaina falls which drop about 140 metrers[25] and the Gura Falls which drop 305 meters.[26][27]
The park is home to many endangered species including the rare bongo, giant forest hog, packs of the now very rare wild dogs, and endemic mole-rat and mole shrew. Other game include a large population of black rhino, leopard servile, endemic bird species, reptiles and insects.[24] Activities include game drives and nature walks. Both brown and rainbow trout abound in the cool mountain streams. Within the park, lodges near watering holes offer close proximity night game viewing.[28] It was at Treetops Lodge that Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (now Elizabeth II) was advised of the death of her father while on a honeymoon retreat, and her ascent to the throne.[29] The park is also known for the Kimathi hideouts, the Mau-Mau Caves, and the Kimathi "post office" where agents used to drop messages for Mau Mau fighters during the guerrilla wars for Kenyan independence.
Private ranches
Close to the city are several privately owned ranches, many of which also serve as private wildlife sanctuaries like Solio Ranch, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Many higher-end tourists stay at these ranches, including celebrities such as Bill Gates.[30]
Administration and government
Nyeri is now, as an administrative centre, currently in transition as the new governance and administrative structures created by the new Kenyan Constitution are in the early stages of implementation.
Central government
Provincial Administration
Nyeri, as aforesaid, had been the Provincial Headquarters of the now defunct Central Province. The fate of the Provincial Administration is now the subject of intense national debate as the country transits to the new Constitution's new governance structure. In the interim, the Central Provincial Commissioner (PC) remains in Nyeri.[31] Under him remain the District Commissioner, Nyeri Central District (DC), the Divisional Officers (DO), the Locational Chiefs and the Assistant Chiefs.[32]
Government Departments
Various Central Provincial and Nyeri Central District departments of the various ministries of the Government of Kenya,[33] and central provincial offices of several Kenya Government departments and State Corporations are also still based in Nyeri.
Security
The Central Provincial Police Officer (PPO) of the Kenya Police Service, and under him, as one of the police divisional heads, the Nyeri Divisional Police Commander (OCPD)are based in Nyeri.[34]
Local government
Nyeri is currently awaiting to be awarded the city status with a certified charter, however its recent growth proves that it is a city. The county assembly is composed of elected MCAs and a county governor. The county legislative system is also led by a county speaker. The Council is based at the Nyeri city Hall. Since the new constitution was promulgated, the administration is handled by the County Government.
Parliamentary representation
Nyeri Municipality is a parliamentary constituency known as Nyeri Town Constituency represented in the National Assembly by an elected Member of Parliament. Hon. Duncan Maina Mathenge is the current Member of Parliament.
People
People from Nyeri County include:
Mwai Kibaki, third President of Kenya from 2002 to 2013
The Kikuyu are a Bantu ethnic group native to East Africa Central Kenya. At a population of 8,148,668 as of 2019, they account for 17.13% of the total population of Kenya, making them Kenya's largest ethnic group.
Nigel Gray Leakey VC was a British soldier and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Dedan Kimathi Waciuri was the leader of the Kenya Land and Freedom Army during the Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1960) against the British colonial rule in Kenya in the 1950s. He was captured by the British in 1956 and executed in 1957. Kenya gained independence in 1963. Kimathi is credited with leading efforts to create formal military structures within the Mau Mau, and convening a war council in 1953. He, along with Baimungi M'marete, Musa Mwariama, Kubu Kubu, General China and Muthoni Kirima, was one of the Field Marshals.
The Kenya African Union (KAU) was a political organization in colonial Kenya, formed in October 1944 prior to the appointment of the first African to sit in the Legislative Council. In 1960 it became the current Kenya African National Union (KANU).
Murang'a County is one of the counties of Kenya's former Central Province. Its largest town and capital is Murang'a, which was referred to as Fort Hall during the colonial era. The county is inhabited mainly by and is considered the birthplace of the Gikuyu, the largest ethnic group in Kenya. The county has a population of 1,056,640 based on the 2019 census.
Treetops Hotel is a hotel in Aberdare National Park in Kenya ten miles (16 km) from the township of Nyeri, 1,966 metres (6,450 ft) above sea level on the Aberdare Range and in sight of Mount Kenya. First opened in November 1932 by Eric Sherbrooke Walker, it was built into the tops of the trees of Aberdare National Park as a treehouse, offering the guests a close view of the local wildlife. The idea was to provide a machan experience in relative safety and comfort. From the original modest two-room tree house built into the top of a tree, it grew into a 35-room hotel. The original structure was replaced by a larger structure, also in the tree, but additionally supported on legs; this was burnt down by the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA) during the 1954 Mau Mau Uprising. The hotel was rebuilt near the same waterhole and became fashionable for wealthy clientele. It includes observation lounges and ground-level photographic hides from which guests can observe the local wildlife at the nearby waterholes.
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.
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.
Murang'a is a town in Murang'a County of Kenya. Before the independence of Kenya in 1963, this town used to be called Fort Hall. It is the administrative centre of Murang'a County and is mainly inhabited by the Kikuyu community. According to the 2019 census, the town has a population of about 110,000.
Nyeri County is a county located in the central region of Kenya. Its capital and largest town is Nyeri. It has a population of 759,164 and an area of 2361 km2. Mutahi Kahiga was governor as of 2022. Previous governors include Nderitu Gachagua, who died while receiving treatment in London, Wamathai Samuel Githaiga, and Wahome Gakuru, who died in a road accident at Kabati near Kenol heading towards Thika Super Highway. It is also the home county of the third president of Kenya, the late President Mwai Kibaki.
Local authorities in Kenya are the bodies controlling local governance in urban areas 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.
Dedan Kimathi University of Technology is a public, coeducational technological university in Nyeri, Kenya. It is one of 22 public universities in Kenya, having been a constituent college of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology since the year 2007 until it was chartered to become a fully fledged public university on 14 December 2012.
Stanley Mathenge wa Mirugi was a Kenyan military leader during the Mau Mau rebellion.
Ihwagi is a settlement in Kenya's Central Province. Currently, it is a shopping center as well as one of the sub locations in Kairia Location of Kirimara Division, Mathira East District, Mathira Constituency, Nyeri County. It is on the Karatina town- Karatina University, approximately 5 kilometers from Karatina Town (CBD) and roughly 130 kilometers from Nairobi city.
Kiganjo is a small town in Kenya's Nyeri county. It hosts the Kenya Police College which is Kenya's main college for police training. Kiganjo also hosts one of the Kenya Cooperative Creameries KCC and a milk depot for the Brookside Milk Company. Kiganjo sits at the junction of roads from Nairobi (A2) and Nyeri (B5), and hosts a railway station on the northern arm of the Kenyan Railway System. Kagumo High School, which is a national school for boys, is also located in Kiganjo.
I&M Bank Kenya Limited, is a commercial bank in Kenya, the largest economy in the East African Community. It is licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya, the central bank and national banking regulator.
The Kenol–Isiolo Highway, is a planned dual carriage highway in Kenya. The highway would link Kenol, in Machakos County, to the towns of Ruiru and Thika, in Kiambu County, Kabati and Makuyu in Muranga County, Sagana and Kibirigwi in Kirinyaga County, Karatina and Kiganjo in Nyeri County, Nanyuki in Laikipia County, Timau in Meru County and Isiolo, in Isiolo County.
↑ "Biografski dodaci"[Biographic appendices]. Republika: Časopis za kulturu i društvena pitanja (Izbor iz novije afričke književnosti) (in Serbo-Croatian). XXXIV (12). Zagreb, SR Croatia: 1424–1427. December 1978.
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