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Meru is a town in the Eastern part of Kenya. Stretched out along the eastern side of the Mt Kenya ring road, Meru isn’t so much a base of operations for Mount Kenya or Meru National park, but rather a travel hub. Whether you end up having to spending the night here, or just stop to stock up on various commodities, it’s worth a look around.
Because it’s a regional service centre and not a tourist destination you’ll rarely hassled on the streets, despite them being alive with activities. The colorful main market is worth a stroll and if you ever thought of chewing miraa, Meru is the epicenter of Kenyan production.
It’s quite a climb up to Meru from either Isiolo or Embu, and in the rainy season you will find yourself lost in the clouds. However, when the weather is clear there are superb views for miles over the surrounding lowlands, and you may catch glimpses of Mt Kenya.
Meru town is headquarters of the Meru Central District in Eastern Province. Meru forms a municipal council with a population of 42,677 (1999 census [1]).
Meru is located on the Kathita River, on the northeast slopes of Mount Kenya. 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. and is mainly populated by people of the Meru Tribe.
The town is accessible by 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 (As of February As of 2004[update], the road to Meru via Nanyuki was still fairly rough). Meru District 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 Nyambeni Hills.
Meru Town is a business, agricultural and educational center for the northeast of Kenya. It has banks and hotels, markets and transportation terminals. Coffee, tea, timber, cattle, dairy products, "french" beans and many other products are produced in Meru District. In addition 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 also technical schools, the Meru Technical Institute and the Meru College of Technology being the major ones. In addition, there are teacher training colleges and the recently developed Kenya Methodist University at Meru, known as KEMU.
It is an important coffee producing area. It is virtually all smallholder-grown, and much of it 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 farmer’s cooperatives which own coffee factories near the farmers.
Meru is the prime Miraa (Khat) growing area in Kenya. Many farmers prefer miraa since it is financially lucrative to produce.
Kenya Demographics
Population
37,953,838
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)
Capital
Nairobi
Age structure
0-14 years: 42.2% (male 8,065,789/female 7,953,077)
15-64 years: 55.2% (male 10,498,468/female 10,434,764)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 457,886/female 543,854) (2008 est.)
Median age
total: 18.6 years
male: 18.5 years
female: 18.8 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate
2.758% (2008 est.)
Birth rate
37.89 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate
10.3 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate
-1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 56.01 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 58.95 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 53.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 56.64 years
male: 56.42 years
female: 56.87 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate
4.7 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
6.7% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
1.2 million (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
150,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vector borne disease: malaria
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2008)
Nationality
noun: Kenyan(s)
adjective: Kenyan
Ethnic groups
Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1%
Religions
Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, Muslim 10%, indigenous beliefs 10%, other 2%
note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous beliefs vary widely
Languages
English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.1%
male: 90.6%
female: 79.7% (2003 est.)
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