Meru County- Our Main Towns

 

Meru Town

I remember when growing up this town was known as Mutindwa oo Kangangi, meaning belonging to Kangangi, who was the first District’s Commissioner.  Butler Horne a short man with small stature who wandered surveying the district and that how he and Meru happened to share a name. Meru sits about five miles north of the equator at an altitude of roughly 5,000 feet in an area characterized by rural villages and farms, small towns and mixed forests. It is the sixth largest urban centre in Kenya. The town not only booms with businesses but also a growing education sector, up-to-the-minute real estate developments, agri-business, insurance, banking, beauty and fashion. Not only has these made it undoubtedly one of the fastest emerging towns in Kenya but the county’s headquarters.

The main landmark in the County Headquarters along  Njuri Ncheke Street

The Ameru sub tribes- Imenti, Tigania and Igembe mainly reside in Meru town. Ameru being peaceful and welcoming, have their cousins, the GEMA community residing in the town too. Also are Somali, Asians and Caucasian whites who I call a Home and Away community, and mostly in pursuit of better business and education opportunities. This is a town of great diversity. I am tempted to think the earliest Ameru must have borrowed from Swahili saying “Njoo mgeni uponye mwenye nyumba”. Which means welcome guest and save the host, sumptuous foods will be served for all, and quarrels will be resolved. Assumingly, this is the only way Meru has emerged to be what it is today from a remote and primitive district.

The county’s capital has undergone immense growth in the recent past as attested by residents, investors and students. Real estate developments are flashier and trendier. Meru town has also been able to attract local and international students, thanks to numerous institutions such Kenya Methodist University, African Nazarene University, Meru University of Agriculture and Technology, Nkabute Technical Training, Kenya Institute of Management and Kenya Medical Training College among others. Almost every street has a mainstream bank again because of promising economic growth. You cannot look for good accommodation, hotel or eateries for long as they are many and strategically situated; and for the party animals and lovers of night life, karibuni…mta-jienjoy mpaka che na ubakishe kitu mfukoni. (Party animal and night life lovers you will have a good time at pocket friendly prices. Forget the big hospitals in Nairobi,  they have been brought close to home, such are  Karen Hospital, Aga Khan  and  the likes of Woodlands, Meru Level Five, Meru General, Milimani Maternity, St. Teresa -Kiirua and Nursing Home  hospital as other well recommended.

Nkubu Town

Nkubu town is defined by two things- quality farm produce- for the rest of us who love freshies as I do, be careful the market can lure you to alight before your destination.secondly, it sits on the banks of Kathingitu River that one has to cross before getting to Meru town. This river is both cool and aggressive- be reminded of the scaring rumbles over rainy seasons!

Nkubu Open-air Market

  The Meru town sister is blessed with fertile land and good climate, making it an agricultural hub. It also has academic institutions such as Kenya Methodist University, Nkubu Technical Institute and the famous Nkubu High as commonly known. Thriving economy and security have attracted established banks such Equity Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank, Family Bank and Cooperative bank in this town. Don’t worry too much about the health facilities -Nkubu Consolata Mission hospital and Kanyakine district hospital are easily accessible by minibuses, matatus, taxis and motorbike.

Maua Town

 I Google Maua Town and the search results are encouraging- Plan to Give Maua Town City Status, Nice Little Heaven, Maua Town is Expected to Get Better, and Kenya’s Economic Miracle among others. Let unwrap this surprise box. Maua means flower in Kiswahili. Guess what? Even the wildest flower is still beautiful, and so is this town. The beauty that comes with being surrounded by blue hills and sloppy green tea farms, what of streams, rivers and a lake that dry throughout the year? And the Somalia women in Hijabs and Men in Kanzu?, music in Kimeru, English, Kiswahili, Kikuyu and Kisomalisa…diversity, elegance and simplicity define Maua Town. For only two hours or 60kms you will be in Maua town from Meru. Maua town begins from Maili Tatu, busy matatu/bus terminals serving Laare, Maua and Meru Towns respectively. Common things in  Maili Tatu apart from the transport related activities- one or two men roasting coco-yams, another one or two roasting maize, a coco-cola kiosks, an old man who I have known for selling sugarcane for as long as I can remember and boda-bodas (Motorbikes). The Meru –Maua –Laare road is smooth so if you are going to any of the destinations you might be tempted to think your journey has been cut short. Voilà: Welcome to Maua- Kenya’s little economic miracle.

  Rustic Beauty of  a Town in the Valley at Night

 I can almost swear this town knows no sleep. It is a beehive of activities; Miraa as the main business. Also known as the green gold, Miraa (Khat) are twigs from what looks like a knobbly fruit trees and sold to the north of Kenya, in Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and the Middle East. Miraa business has become multi-billion businesses. As sure as sure, anyone who talks ill of this cash crop is bound to have a million haters. Miraa is our source of income; it is from his crop so many of us have successfully sailed through education, have mega businesses, beautiful homes and smoothed dowry payment processes. Not once has the parliament held debates some against the crop and others for. Miraa is a treasure here, whether as a visitor or local, stay away from your neighbour’s Miraa farm or else you will have a story of a near death experience. Secondly, be careful what you say about Miraa and last, pick-ups ferrying Miraa from Maua to other destinations fly, so be extra keen while on the road.
 

Business as usual- Even the women are not ‘jokings’

Then there is another type of green gold here- tea. Completely the opposite of Miraa, tea farming is a source of income for many families. Tea from this region has immensely contributed to country’s economy and promises the same in the future. Apart from that it is environmental friendly while the health benefits are recognized globally. Nevertheless, like any other tea growing zones, farmers are adversely threated by different challenges such as weak export prices, surpassed tea quantities which has caused imbalance between supply and demand, and high local authority levies.

Nyambene Hills and velvet-like slopes of tea plantations

  The future of Meru towns is optimistic. It seem like yesterday we did have so much take pride in.    In fact, one of the economic analysts, The Economy,  “Meru has the potential to shine beyond considering its strong political leaders are tired their county has been lagging behind and  made fun of and whilst it  has way too many natural, made-made and human resources”.