Mt Kenya region
Eneo la Mlima Kenya (Sw) Murima | |
|---|---|
Geo-political region | |
|
Nakuru City , Mt Kenya , Tea Farming in Limuru, Thompson Falls , Meru National park | |
 Location of Mt Kenya Region in Kenya | |
| Country |  Kenya |
| Counties | |
| Largest Town | Thika |
| Area | |
• Total | 34,069 km2 (13,154 sq mi) |
| Population (2019) | |
• Total | 8,548,289[1]
10.7 M (incl. Nakuru) |
• Estimate (2025) | 9,464,000[1] 11.9 Million (incl. Nakuru) |
| • Density | 251.6/km2 (652/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | |
| • Total |  $59.46 billion (2022)[2] |
| • Per Capita | $6,555 (2022) |
| GDP (NOMINAL) | |
| • Total | $19.95 Billion (2022) |
| • Per Capita | $2,200 (2023) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| HDI (2023) | 0.643[3] - medium |
| Data for the Mt Kenya region is an aggregate of individual county figures. | |
The Mount Kenya region, colloquially referred to as Murima (meaning "The Mountain" in Kikuyu), is a geopolitical, cultural and economic area located in the central part of Kenya neighboring Mount Kenya. It comprises 9 counties: Embu, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Meru, Tharaka-Nithi, Kiambu, Murang'a, Laikipia, Nyandarua, and sometimes Nakuru too due to Kenya geopolitics. The region's major urban centers include Thika and Ruiru. As of 2025 the region has approximately 8.5 Million people of which they are predominantly composed of Highland Bantu ethnic groups, notably the Agikuyu, Aembu, Ameru, Ambeere, and Atharaka communities.[4][5]
The Mt. Kenya region is considered one of the most socio-economically developed areas in Kenya, second only to the capital, Nairobi. It plays a significant role in the country's economy due to its agricultural productivity, well-established infrastructure, and strategic political influence. The region is known for producing tea, coffee, and horticultural products, and its road network and public services are among the most advanced outside Nairobi.
Demographics
| Year | Population (in 'Millions) |
Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 8.808 | – |
| 2021 | 8.938 | 1.47% |
| 2022 | 9.070 | 1.48% |
| 2023 | 9.200 | 1.43% |
| 2024 | 9.332 | 1.43% |
| 2025 | 9.464 | 1.41% |
| 2030 | 10.110 | 1.34% |
As of 2025 the population of Mt Kenya tegion is 9.46 Million which is a 1.41% increase from 2024. Kiambu County is the most populous County with 2.7 Million people, Followed by Meru County 1.6 Million people, while , Tharaka-Nithi and Kirinyaga had the least population growth with 0.95% and 0.91% respectively
Religion
Christianity is the dominant religion in Mt Kenya with 97% adherent's, Protestantism was the largest denomination with around 37% being Protestants with Meru County and Tharaka-Nithi County having the more than 40% Protestants, Catholicism followed with around 24% adherents Evangelism 22%, African Instituted Churches represented 8% of the Population. Islam was a minority religion with only 0.68% of the population being Islamic. 1.37% were Irreligious with Laikipia County and Nakuru County having the most Irreligious people [6]
Human Development
As of 2023 the Human Development Index of Mt Kenya region is 0.643 which was higher than the national average of 0.601, Nyeri County , Kiambu County and Embu County are the most developed with an HDI exceeding 0.65, Murang'a County and Tharaka-Nithi County have the least human development with an hdi of around 0.62.
| Rank | County | HDI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Nyeri |
0.678 |
| 2 |  Kiambu |
0.663 |
| 3 |  Embu |
0.650 |
| 4 |  Kirinyaga |
0.646 |
| Mt Kenya | 0.644 | |
| 5 |  Nyandarua |
0.637 |
| 6 |  Laikipia |
0.635 |
| 7 |  Meru |
0.632 |
| 8 |  Tharaka Nithi |
0.626 |
| 9 |  Murang’a |
0.625 |
Age Distribution
The median age of mount Kenya region is 24.5 which is the highest in the country. Nyeri County and Kirinyaga County have the highest median age of 27 years, Followed by Embu County and Murang'a County with 25 years. Laikipia County and Nyandarua County have the least median age with a median age of 21 years. Central Mount Kenya region and East Mount Kenya region had the highest median age while Western and Northern Mount Kenya region had the least median age.
| Rank | County | Median age |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nyeri
|
27.8 |
| 2 | Kirinyaga
|
27.5 |
| 3 | Embu
|
25.9 |
| 4 | Murang'a
|
25.7 |
| Mount Kenya (average) | 24.5 | |
| 5 | Meru
|
23.9 |
| 6 | Tharaka-Nithi
|
23.8 |
| 7 | Kiambu
|
23.5 |
| 8 | Nyandarua
|
21.8 |
| 9 | Laikipia
|
21.1 |
| Kenya Average | 20.1 | |
History
The Mount Kenya area has long been home to the Kenyan Highland Bantu communities. The Gikuyu (Kikuyu), closely related to the Aembu and Ameru people, traditionally trace their origins to the slopes of Mt. Kenya and the sacred forests. In local belief, God (Ngai) was said to dwell on Kirinyaga (Mt. Kenya), and the creator Gikuyu was shown his promised land from the mountain's peak. By the 13th century AD, these groups had established themselves around the mountain and in the fertile central highlands. They organized under clan and age-set institutions (e.g. the Meru Njuri Ncheke council of elders, and the Gikuyu council of elders councils – Kiama kia ma) and practiced subsistence farming, cattle-herding, hunting, and ritual ceremonies at sacred sites (sacrifices at mugumo fig trees, rain-making on mountain shrines, etc.).[7]
In the late 19th century Mount Kenya fell under British colonial control. Much of its fertile highland became part of the "White Highlands", displacing many local farmers to reserves.[8] African political consciousness rose, and by the 1930s the Kikuyu, Embu and Meru communities began organizing through groups like the Kikuyu Central Association and later the Kenya African Union. This culminated in the Mau Mau uprising (1952–1960), an armed anti-colonial rebellion largely led by Kikuyu (with many Embu and Meru supporters) who hid in the forests of Mount Kenya and Aberdares. Thousands of "oathed" insurgents took refuge on Mt. Kenya, attacking settler farms and colonial outposts. The colonial government's brutal Emergency (villagization, detention camps) took a heavy toll on the local population. Notable figures from the region included Dedan Kimathi (Kikuyu freedom fighter executed by the British), Wangari Maathai (later Nobel laureate environmentalist from Nyeri), and Jomo Kenyatta (a Kikuyu leader from Kiambu who was imprisoned during the Emergency but became Kenya's first president in 1964).
In independent Kenya the Mount Kenya region has remained politically prominent. Nearly all its counties were strongholds of KANU under presidents Kenyatta and Moi. The region has produced national leaders (besides Jomo Kenyatta, Mwai Kibaki hailed from Othaya,Nyeri. It also has seen significant development initiatives (Hydro dams on the Tana River in Embu/Meru, expansion of tea estates).
Geography
The mountain's steep altitude gradient creates distinct ecological zones. Montane forests (Juniperus, Podocarpus, and bamboo) cover the slopes up to about 2,500–3,000 m, above which dense bamboo zone and heathland ("Afro-alpine" heather and giant Lobelia) extend to ~4,000 m, and moorland tussock-grass plains occur up to ~5,000 m. Twelve small glaciers and about 20 tarns (alpine lakes) remain on the highest peaks, though they are rapidly retreating due to climate change. The lower slopes are drained by rivers (tributaries of the River Tana and River Ewaso Nyiro) and feed several reservoirs. For example, the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Laikipia County (north of Mount Kenya) and the Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve form part of the mountain's watershed system. These conservancies link the forested foothills of Mt. Kenya to the adjacent Laikipia plateau and Somalian/Maasai savanna ecosystem.[9]
Mount Kenya and its surroundings are protected as a national park and forest reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site for its outstanding natural beauty and biodiversity. The Mount Kenya National Park (managed by Kenya Wildlife Service) and the adjacent forest reserve (Kenya Forest Service) cover the highlands above ~2,000 m. They safeguard the mountain's unique flora and fauna (elephants, leopards, endemic rodents, alpine birds, etc.). Lower on the mountain are large tea and coffee farms (especially in Kiambu, Kirinyaga, and parts of Meru, Embu and Nyeri), as well as vast dairy pastures. As of the 2019 census, the ten Mt. Kenya counties ranged from very populous (Kiambu: 2,417,735 people; Nakuru: 2,162,202) to sparsely populated (Laikipia: 518,560). The table below summarizes 2019 population and area for each county in the region.
| Rank | County | Area (km2) | Population (2023 est.) | Population Density (per km2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laikipia | 9,508 | 518,560 | 55 |
| 2 | Nakuru | 7,505 | 2,162,202 | 288 |
| 3 | Meru | 7,014 | 1,545,714 | 220 |
| 4 | Nyeri | 3,325 | 759,164 | 228 |
| 5 | Nyandarua | 3,286 | 638,289 | 194 |
| 6 | Embu | 2,821 | 608,599 | 216 |
| 7 | Tharaka-Nithi | 2,564 | 393,177 | 153 |
| 8 | Kiambu | 2,539 | 2,417,735 | 952 |
| 9 | Murang’a | 2,523 | 1,056,640 | 419 |
| 10 | Kirinyaga | 1,478 | 610,411 | 413 |
| Total | 42,563 | 10,710,491 | 252 | |
Except for Kiambu and Nakuru (which have major towns), most of the region is predominantly rural. For example, Kiambu's urban population (1,706,785) far exceeds its rural (711,450), whereas Kirinyaga's rural residents (474,187) greatly outnumber its urban (136,224). Agriculture dominates the lower regions, with crops like tea (slopes of Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Tharaka Nithi) and coffee (Meru, Nyeri) as cash crops, plus maize, beans and horticulture. The region is also a dairy powerhouse (Meru alone produces ~200 million liters/year of milk) and contains projects like the Mwea rice irrigation scheme (Kirinyaga).
Economy
Agriculture is the backbone of the Mount Kenya economy. The fertile highlands produce tea, coffee, horticultural crops, and dairy on a large scale. With a total GDP of $26 Billion, The region contributes around 22% to National GDP . Nakuru and Kiambu are the largest economies contributing around 23% each to the regional GDP. In terms of GDP Per Capita, Nakuru, Nyeri , Nyandarua and Embu leads with a GDP Nominal of more than $7,000 at PPP as of 2023
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Politics
The Mount Kenya region is a major political force in Kenya due to its large voting population and cohesive voting patterns. It has historically been a stronghold of Central Kenya leadership – producing presidents Jomo Kenyatta (Kiambu), Mwai Kibaki (Nyeri), and Uhuru Kenyatta (Kiambu/Murang’a) – and commanding a block of electoral votes. Traditionally, Mt. Kenya counties have voted largely as a bloc for parties favored by Kikuyu elites, although splits have occurred (e.g. Ford-Asili in the 1970s, NARC in 2002). In the post-2010 era, new political formations emerged: for example, Kirinyaga's Martha Karua ran for president (2013) and became an opposition figure, while Meru leaders like Peter Munya and Irungu Kang’ata have been influential in Jubilee and UDA administrations.[10]
In the 2022 elections, the region swung behind William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza coalition (UDA party) against the traditional Azimio alliance.Issues like county development funds, coffee pricing, and land rights on the mountain frequently dominate local politics.
Notable People
- 1. Jomo Kenyatta – First President of Kenya
- 2. Wangari Maathai – Nobel Laureate & Environmentalist
- 3. Kithure Kindiki - Current Deputy President of Kenya
- 4. Dedan Kimathi – Mau Mau Leader
- 5. Martha Koome - Chief Justice of Kenya
- 6. Mwai Kibaki – Third President of Kenya
- 7. Uhuru Kenyatta – Fourth President of Kenya
- 8. Justin Muturi - Seventh Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya and Eighth Attorney General of The Republic of Kenya
- 9. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o – Novelist & Decolonization Advocate
- 10. Musa Mwariama – Mau Mau Field Marshal
- 11. Martha Karua – Politician & Former Justice Minister
- 12. Rigathi Gachagua – Deputy President
- 13. Simon Gicharu – Founder, Mount Kenya University
- 14. Cecily Mutitu Mbarire – Second Governor of The County of Embu.
- 15. Kubu Kubu – Mau Mau General.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Kenya Population by County and Sub County". www.knbs.or.ke. KNBS. September 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ "Gross County Product". www knbs.or.ke. KNBS. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
- ^ "Kenyan counties by human development index". statskenya.co.ke. Statista. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
- ^ "Mt Kenya Region in Kenya". www.erepo.usiu.ac.ke. USIU. 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ "Mt Kenya Region". www.broadafrica.com. Broad Africa. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ "Religious Affiliation in Kenya by County" (PDF). Africa Check. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ History of the Agikuyu. Britannica. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ "What Was The Mau Mau Uprising?". www.iwm.org. IWM. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ "Geology of Mt Kenya area" (PDF). Amazonaws. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ "Mt Kenya Politics". Standard Media. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
