Limuru
Encyclopedia
Limuru is a town in central Kenya
. It is also the name of a parliamentary constituency and an administrative division. Current 2004 population is about 4800.
Limuru is a town located on the eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley
about 30 miles North-West from Nairobi
the capital city of Kenya. Limuru residents rely mostly on farming and a shoe factory for employment. Early in the British colonial period (from the 1890s) Europeans settled in the area due to its proximity to Nairobi, the railway, its fertile land and pleasant weather.
, with Swahili and English widely spoken.
Limuru serves as the capital of Kiambu West District which was formerly part of Kiambu District
. In addition, it is also the name of a parliament constituency.
Most of the area of Limuru is now what was previously known as "the white highlands
", a rich agricultural land just south of the equator. The term "white highlands" derived from the British and other Europeans who realised the productive potential of this area and settled in large numbers with the support of the colonial government, establishing coffee and tea plantations, cereal farms and ranches. Altitude of the town is about 2500 meters. Limuru has a temperature of 28 °C (75 °F) year round.
The tea plantations established around Limuru from 1903 onwards were the foundation of Kenya's largest export industry, which produces some of the world's highest quality tea.
Limuru has a railway station on the Uganda Railway
. The Brackenhurst International Conference Centre, owned by the Baptist
mission, is located in Limuru, as is the Nest Children's Home, which specializes in the care of children of imprisoned mothers. The town of Limuru grew with the railway, the tea industry (especially with major expansion from the 1920s), and the Bata shoe factory and head office.
and activist P. Faith Fawaki.
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. It is also the name of a parliamentary constituency and an administrative division. Current 2004 population is about 4800.
Limuru is a town located on the eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
about 30 miles North-West from Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
the capital city of Kenya. Limuru residents rely mostly on farming and a shoe factory for employment. Early in the British colonial period (from the 1890s) Europeans settled in the area due to its proximity to Nairobi, the railway, its fertile land and pleasant weather.
History
The native language of most people in Limuru is KikuyuGikuyu language
Gikuyu or Kikuyu is a language of the Bantu family spoken primarily by the Kikuyu people of Kenya. Numbering about 6 million , they are the largest ethnic group in Kenya. Gikuyu is spoken in the area between Nyeri and Nairobi. Gikuyu is one of the five languages of the Thagichu subgroup of the...
, with Swahili and English widely spoken.
Limuru serves as the capital of Kiambu West District which was formerly part of Kiambu District
Kiambu District
Kiambu District is an administrative district in the Central Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Kiambu. The district is adjacent to the northern border of Nairobi and has a population of 744,010....
. In addition, it is also the name of a parliament constituency.
Most of the area of Limuru is now what was previously known as "the white highlands
White Highlands
The term White Highlands describes an area in the central uplands of Kenya, so-called because, during the period of British Colonialism, white immigrants settled there in considerable numbers. The main motivation was to take advantage of the good soils and growing conditions, as well as the cool...
", a rich agricultural land just south of the equator. The term "white highlands" derived from the British and other Europeans who realised the productive potential of this area and settled in large numbers with the support of the colonial government, establishing coffee and tea plantations, cereal farms and ranches. Altitude of the town is about 2500 meters. Limuru has a temperature of 28 °C (75 °F) year round.
Industry
Limuru is widely-known in Kenya for the large amounts of tea it produces.The tea plantations established around Limuru from 1903 onwards were the foundation of Kenya's largest export industry, which produces some of the world's highest quality tea.
Limuru has a railway station on the Uganda Railway
Uganda Railway
The Uganda Railway is a railway system and former railway company linking the interiors of Uganda and Kenya with the Indian Ocean at Mombasa in Kenya.-Origins:...
. The Brackenhurst International Conference Centre, owned by the Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
mission, is located in Limuru, as is the Nest Children's Home, which specializes in the care of children of imprisoned mothers. The town of Limuru grew with the railway, the tea industry (especially with major expansion from the 1920s), and the Bata shoe factory and head office.
Residents
It was the birthplace of famous African writer, Ngugi wa Thiongo as well as that of Bishop Caesar GatimuCaesar Gatimu
The Right Reverent Caesar Gatimu was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Nyeri, Kenya.-Vocation:On 17 March 1947, aged 25, Gatimu was ordained as a priest of the Archdiocese of Nyeri, Kenya....
and activist P. Faith Fawaki.