Central Province (Kenya)

Central Province
Mkoa wa Kati
Former Province

Location in Kenya
Coordinates: 0°45′S 37°0′E / 0.750°S 37.000°E / -0.750; 37.000Coordinates: 0°45′S 37°0′E / 0.750°S 37.000°E / -0.750; 37.000
Country  Kenya
No. of Counties: 5
Capital Nyeri
Area
 • Total 11,449.1 km2 (4,420.5 sq mi)
Population (2009)
 • Total 4,383,743
 • Density 380/km2 (990/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+3 (EAT)
Central Province of Kenya surrounds its capital, Nyeri, and includes slopes of Mount Kenya (click to enlarge map).

The Central Province (Swahili: Kati) is a region in central Kenya. It covers an area of 13,191 km² and is located to north of Nairobi and west of Mt. Kenya (see maps). The province had 4,383,743[1] inhabitants according to the 2009 census. The provincial capital is Nyeri.

Central Province is the ancestral home of the Gikuyu community.

Climate

The climate of Central Province is generally cooler than that of the rest of Kenya, due to the region's higher altitude. Rainfall is fairly reliable, falling in two seasons, one from early March to May (the long rains) and a second during October and November (the short rains).

General information

Central Province is a key producer of coffee, one of Kenya's key exports. Much of Kenya's dairy industry is also based in this province. The province's headquarters are in Nyeri. Central Province was divided into seven districts (wilaya'at) until 2007:[2]

District PopulationCapital
Nyandarua   479,902Ol Kalou*
Nyeri 661,156Nyeri
Kirinyaga 457,105Kerugoya
Maragua 387,969Maragua
Murang'a 348,304Murang'a
Thika 645,713Thika
Kiambu 744,010Kiambu
* former capital: Nyahururu

Counties

CodeCountyFormer ProvinceArea (km2)Population
Census 2009		Capital
18NyandaruaCentral3,107.7596,268Ol Kalou
19NyeriCentral2,361.0693,558Nyeri
20KirinyagaCentral1,205.4528,054Kerugoya / Kutus
21Murang'aCentral2,325.8942,581Murang'a
22KiambuCentral2,449.21,623,282Kiambu
Totals11,449.14,383,743-

Districts after 2007

Several new districts (declared sub-counties in 2013) were created in 2007:[2]

District Capital
GatangaGatanga
GatunduGatundu
Gatundu NorthKamwangi
GithunguriGithunguri
KabeteKikuyu
KandaraKandara
Kiambu East (Kiambaa)Kiambu
Kiambu WestLimuru
Kieni EastChaka
Kieni WestMweiga
KigumoKigumo
KinangopEngineer
Kirinyaga CentralKerugoya
Kirinyaga EastKianyaga
Kirinyaga SouthWanguru
Kirinyaga WestBaricho
LariLari
MaraguaMaragua
MathioyaKiria-ini
Mathira EastKaratina
Mathira WestKaiyaba
MiranginiMirangini
MukurweiniMukurweini
Murang'a NorthMurang'a
Murang'a SouthKenol
Nyandarua CentralOl Kalou
Nyandarua NorthNdaragwa
Nyandarua SouthNjambini
Nyandarua WestOl Jororok
Nyeri CentralNyeri
Nyeri SouthOthaya
RuiruRuiru
TetuWamagana
Thika EastGatuanyaga
Thika WestThika

History

The province is inhabited by the Kikuyu speaking community almost exclusively. They are part of the Kenya Eastern Bantu.

During Kenya's colonization by the British, much of the province was regarded as part of the 'White Highlands', for the exclusive use of the European community. Therefore, it saw political activity from the local communities who felt that they had an ancestral right to the land. This tension culminated in the 1950s with the Mau Mau rebellion; it saw the region placed under a state of emergency and the arrest of many prominent political leaders.

Villages and settlements (A-J)

Villages and settlements (K)

Villages and settlements (L-Z)

References

  1. ↑ "Kenya Census 2009" (PDF). Kenya Bureau of Statistics. August 28, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 10, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2011.
  2. 1 2 Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and National Security Archived 2009-03-05 at the Wayback Machine.
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