Meru, Kenya

Meru
City
Country	Kenya
Province	Eastern
County	Meru County
Founded	13th-May-1911
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)
Area code	064

Meru is a city in central Kenya. Meru City is headquarters of the Meru County in what was formerly known as Eastern Province and the 6th largest City in Kenya. Meru forms a municipal council with a population of 240,900 ).

Meru is located at 0.047035 degrees North and 37.649803 degrees East, on the northeast slopes of Mount Kenya. The Kathita River passes through the city. It is situated about five miles north of the equator, at approximately 5,000 feet altitude, in an area of mixed forest and clearings, small towns, villages, and rural farms. Although Meru is predominantly populated by Ameru people, Meru has a sizable population of Nubians mostly settled at Mjini,Borana, Kikuyu, Somali, resident traders of Indian and Pakistani descent as well as a number of other Kenyan ethnic groups engaged in commerce and or working in the civil service.

History

Meru Town was founded by Edward Butler Horne, Meru’s first District Commissioner. The Meru nicknamed him Kangangi, meaning the little wanderer due to his short size 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). This site was about nine miles from the present area of Meru Town. Horne and his entourage were firmly encamped at Mwitari's by May 1908.

E. B. Horne then decided to construct a more defensible permanent camp. After consulting with the spokesmen of the local councils (Njuri ya Kiama of the Imenti and Njuri Ncheke of the entire Meru), a ridge of partially uncultivated land near the Kathita River, just below the forest fringe was recommended. From Horne's perspective it had several advantages. The ridge was high, sharply defined, and easily defended. It lay near a permanent water source and was also open to cooling winds.

E.B Horne (Kangangi) then erected two Canadian-style log cabins, built in the manner he had learned as a lumberjack in Canada. These became his house and office. Thereafter, a line of grass and thatch huts was constructed, set in a permanent square in traditional British military style. Meru warriors were then set to digging a six-foot trench, again in a square, around the complete encampment. Finally, water from the Kathita River was diverted into E. B. Horne’s new “Fort Meru” headquarters by means of trenches. The Meru called it Mutindwa O’ Kangangi which translates to The Little Wanderer’s Abode, literally Horne's Haven, after its founder, E. B. Horne. "Fort Meru" forms the core of the modern Meru.

Attention was then focused on the construction of roads, to create communication and supply routes to his new headquarters. At the same time, the colonial administration had called for a simultaneous construction of a roadbed ten feet wide, to run from Embu through each of the Meru regions, through Horne's encampment, and extend thirty miles beyond into Tigania. Eventually, it would extend northward to include the Nyambeni Mountains (Igembe) and northwest around Mount Kenya, to Nanyuki into then Gikuyu Province.

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."

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. 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”.

In January 1912 he and Griffiths and a 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, Kenya’s largest private University. .

Transport

The City of Meru is linked to Nairobi by a paved road, whether 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 being built 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 setup its Upper Eastern Regional Headquarters in Meru. The streets have been painted and flowerbeds weeded in preparation of in time for the Kenya Municipal Games held in the City to coincide with The City's centenary celebrations.

Tourism & Hospitality

Meru City is a jumping-off place for Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves and Lewa Downs, 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 National Museum is housed in Meru’s first District Commissioner’s Office, that E. B. Horne built. 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 fairly good hotels and restaurants. They include:

• Meru County Hotel
• Blue Towers Hotel
• White Star Hotel
• Hotel Three Steers
• Meru Safari Hotel
• Royal Prince Restaurant
• Simba wells
• Brown Rock Hotel
• La Vienna Restaurant

Centre of Commerce

Meru City 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 banks branches. Kenya’s largest Banks, Equity, Barclay and Co-Operative operating two branches each. business, agricultural and educational center for the northeast of Kenya.

Agricultural Centre

Meru City serves as the centre for an important coffee producing area. Virtually all smallholder-grown, much of Meru’s Coffee is shade-grown. Meru's coffee crops come twice a year, corresponding to the two rainy seasons, but the main crop in Meru comes at a somewhat different time than that elsewhere in Kenya, due to different weather patterns on the northeast slopes of Mt. Kenya and the Nyambenene ranges. It is all grown at high-altitudes in the volcanic soils of the district. It is processed by farmers cooperatives which own coffee factories near the farmers, and a regional KPCU coffee warehouse at Mwiteria. Meru serves one of the Kenya’s prime tea producing areas, with three tea factories – Michii Mikuru, Kiegoi - to its North and four – Githongo, Imenti, Kionyo, Weru - to the South Meru County is the prime Miraa (Khat) growing area in Kenya. Many farmers prefer Miraa since it is financially lucrative to produce. Meru Dairy Co-Operative Society’s Dairy Plant is located in the City's Industrial Area. Nubian Foods. Meru Co-Operative Union runs a maize milling plant located along Nanyuki Rd.

Educational Center

Meru City is an educational center for the northeast of Kenya.There are primary and secondary schools, including the Meru High School and Kaaga Girls School, two leading Kenyan secondary educational institutions. Emory University has a partnership with the Meru High School to share computers, books, and science equipment in memory of George Brumley. There are technical schools; the Meru Technical Training Institute and Nkabune Technical Institute, two universities; the Meru University College of Science and Technology and The Kenya Methodist University at Meru, a teacher training college and several University campuses.

Kenya Methodist University

With an increased population, rising unemployment of the youth and poor land use in the 1950s,local church leaders came up with the idea of training local people to become self- reliant through training in agriculture, motor mechanics and carpentry. Consequently, a local committee was formed and funds were sought from Christian Aid in Britain through the NCCK to develop a training centre. The Church leaders then approached The Meru Country Council, which consequently leased 54 acres of forestland close to Kaaga in Miriga Mieru to house the proposed center. In 1956, the ground was cleared and the following year the first physical infrastructure was established comprising a hostel, offices, dinning hall and kitchen, meeting room, three staff houses and two duplexes along with a workshop and animal farm house.

In 1958, the Kaaga Rural Training Centre was born. Kaaga Rural Training Centre and Methodist Training Institute were then consecutively merged to form the basic foundation, in form of physical and other infrastructure in the establishment of Kenya Methodist University. The university was awarded its Charter on June 28th 2006 by His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki.

Other institutions of Higher learning in Meru include:

• Meru University College of Science and Technology
• Meru Technical Training Institute
• Nkabune Technical Institute
• Africa Nazarene University,Meru Campus
• University of Nairobi Extra Mural Centre situated in the Posta Building
• Kenya Institute of Management - Alexander House
• Bugema University,Meru town Campus located within Angaine Plaza
• Mount Kenya University,Nkubu town campus located in Nkubu town

Meru has a number of High Schools of note which have produced a number of leaders in the current government and the Kenyan private sector. These include among others

• Meru School
• Kaaga Girls High School
• Kaaga Boys High School

List of prominent Ameru

• Kiraitu Murungi, South Imenti Constituency MP and current Minister of Energy, Kenya.
• Francis Muthaura, current Head of Public Service & Secretary of the Cabinet, Kenya.
• Peter Munya - Assistant Minister, Ministry of East African Community, Tigania East MP
• Japhet Mbiuki Kareke, Currently Nithi MP, and prominent businessman. Operates a fleet of buses and trucks.
• Kilemi Mwiria, current member of parliament for Tigani-West and Assistant Minister for High Educational,for lecturer KKU university and UNCEF carriculum developer for Child education in Africa.
• Field Marshal Musa Mwariama, Mau Mau leader
• Josphat magiri kibanga, Former chairman of meru central farmers sacco and also a clan elder.
• General Baimunge Marete, Mau Mau leader
• Hon. Justice (Rtd) Aaron Ringera, once the Director Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC), Kenya [1]
• Edward H Ntalami, immediate former Chief Executive, Capital Markets Authority, Kenya.
• David Mwiraria, former Member of Parliament for the North Imenti Constituency, former Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, former Finance Minister, Kenya.
• Dr. Mzalendo Kibunja,Chairman, National Cohesion and Integration Commission.
• Dr. Cyrus Njiru PhD, MBA, CBS, Permanent Secretary, ministry of Transport
• Samuel Kobia, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC). [2]
• Silas Muriuki, currently (since December 2007 election) Member of Parliament (Mazingira Green Party of Kenya) for the North Imenti Constituency, Kenya.
• Gitobu Imanyara, current Member of Parliament for Central Imenti Constituency, former political activist, former Secretary General of FORD-Kenya
• Dr Mawira Fredrick Mate M.B.ChB University of Nairobi, Prominent Medical doctor
• Abdul Rahim Dawood, current councilor for Commercial Word, Meru Municipal Council. Businessman operates petrol stations and hotels.
• Isaac Kaimenyi Ndiira,Retired OCPD and former chief security officer in Mabati Rolling Mills company,a leading iron sheets production company in East and Central Africa.
• Mr. Lenny M.Githinji IT Consultant and currently Chairman Lejan Solutions
• Jackson Harvester Angaine -1900-1999 Former Minister during Kenyatta and Moi Cabinet
• Nteere Mbogori -1934-2008 Former MP North Imenti Constituency,Assistant Minister during Moi regime a seasoned orator, and one of the co-founder of GEMA
• Bishop Lawi Imathiu - former Methodist Presiding Bishop
• Maore Maoka - former Ntonyiri MP
• Geoffrey Muthuri Mathiu , Former Meru School Principal, Director KTDA
• Mr. Justus Tom Ndege Sabari 1946 - 2008. Former Permanent Secretary Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Environment & Natural Resources. Founder member Kenya Methodist University - Meru.
• Martin Muroria,Bsc. - Prominent Computer Engineer & Banker
• Mr Isaac M. M'nkoroi - Contracts and Grants Management Specialist (USAID)
• Arnold Mutuma Mugambi,Bsc,CISA - Systems Executive Mabati Rolling Mills ,a leading iron sheets production company in East and Central Africa.
• Francis Kagwima -Former Tharaka MP and assistant minister for Research,science and Technology