Nyeri

The majority of Nyeri residents are members of Kenya's largest ethnic group, the Kikuyu, with residents generally being known as "Nyeri Kikuyu".[8] The Kikuyu language is widely spoken, along with Kenya's National language, Swahili as well as Kenya's official language, English.

Following the national pattern of Kenya being a predominantly Christian country, Christianity is the main religion. The main Christian denominations are Catholic-that hosts the Cathedral and the Archbishop's official residence-, Presbyterian, Anglican, Pentecostals and indigenous denominations, in that order. The older residents, who tend to attend the mainstream churches, are invariably more religious than the younger ones. Muslims, traditional African believers and Hindus, in declining order, make up a small minority.[9][10]

About 5 km from the city Centre is the Mathari Mission settlement, a complex of several Catholic buildings and institutions, established by Italian missionaries at the beginning of the 20th century. The mission is composed of convents for nuns, schools, a teacher training college and other vocational colleges. It also hosts the Consolata Hospital and School of Nursing, which is staffed largely by nuns of the Consolata order. Nyeri is also the place where Blessed Stephanie Nyaatha was laid to rest.

Dedan Kimathi University of Technology

In addition to its two home-grown universities, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology and the recently upgraded Karatina University College,[11] Nyeri hosts satellite campuses of various Kenyan public universities such as University of Nairobi,[12] Kenyatta University.[13]

The National Police Training College is situated in Kiganjo, 10.8 km from the city. There is a Medical Training College, a government nursing school, two polytechnic colleges, and several private and public secondary and primary schools such as Moi Nyeri Complex, Temple Road, DEB Muslim and Ngangarithi primary. The town is also home to the Nyeri National Polytechnic.. Other technical training colleges in the town include Tetu TVC, Mathira TVC and Kieni Esat TVC as well as many vocational and technical training centers spread across the county. The Roman Catholic Church Archdiocese of Nyeri runs several schools, colleges, and hospitals. The town is also home to three national schools, Kagumo High School, Nyeri High School and the Bishop Gatimu Girls High School[14] in Nyeri. It is the home to prestigious extra county schools in the nation like Othaya Boys High School and Mahiga Girls Secondary School. St. Mary's Boys Secondary School Nyeri is another top-performing high school located in Nyeri town.

Nyeri has tarmacked roads, and the county and national governments are upgrading many of them. Houses have drinking water on tap,[5] but sewage provision is through soak pits, pit latrines and septic tanks are still widespread. The city's topography allows nature and gravity to take care of most of the city's storm water drainage.

Phone services, especially mobile telephony, and internet services are widely available. A fibre optic cable network linking the city to offshore submarine cables recently reached Kenya's coast.

Nairobi-Nyeri highway

Nyeri is served by a reasonably well-maintained tarmac road network connecting it to Nairobi, Nakuru, Nanyuki, Othaya and other surrounding towns. The newly built Kenol-Marua 4 lane super highway ends few kilometers from Nyeri town,[20] Most transportation of cargo to and from Nyeri is by road, although the city has a largely underutilized railway station at Kiganjo (about six kilometers out of city towards Nanyuki) on the branchline of the railway from Nairobi to Nanyuki.

An airport and some airstrips serve the city: one at Mweiga (about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) out of city towards Nakuru) and another at Nyaribo, off the Nanyuki – Naromoru highway. The main mode of public passenger transport to, from, and within Nyeri is by way of fourteen-seater minibuses (matatu), though un-metered salon car taxis are also widely used.

Peacock at Outspan Hotel, Nyeri

Lt.-Gen. Lord Baden-Powell's Grave

Nyeri has many visitors to the Baden-Powell grave, the resting place of Lieutenant-General Lord Baden-Powell, a British commander in the Boer War and the founder of the Scouting Movement, who once wrote "the nearer to Nyeri the nearer to bliss".[21] He and his wife, Olave, Lady Baden-Powell, G.B.E., are buried in the City cemetery. Baden-Powell had a cottage built, which he called "Paxtu". He lived there until his death, and it is now a small museum; it stands in the grounds of the Outspan Hotel. Nyeri remains a place of pilgrimage for the worldwide Scouting and Guiding Movements, with members congregating in the city from time to time for various activities and functions.

There are also visitors to the Italian War Memorial Chapel at Mathari, built in 1952 by the Italian government in honour of Italian Royal Army soldiers, prisoners of war, and other internees, from the time of the Second World War who died in East Africa, including 69 African recruits to the Italian forces, mostly Somalis. Among those buried at Mathari is Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, Viceroy of Italian East Africa, whose tomb is within the Chapel, in front of the altar.[22]

The chapel is not used for regular worship, but a special Mass is celebrated every 2 November in memory of the fallen soldiers and those who died in captivity. Covering the walls of the main church building are memorials for the many Italian servicemen who died during the war. Each memorial is in the form of a small oblong plaque indicating the name of the soldier, the battalion he served in, and the place where he died.

Nyeri is also the burial place of hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett, the author of Man-Eaters of Kumaon (1944), who also spent his final years in Paxtu, B-P's cottage.

Mount Kenya and Nyeri hill are nearby, as well as the Tetu hills 50 km to the North East. About 20 km from the city is Mount Kenya National Park. Mount Kenya is an extinct volcano lying astride the Equator. The mountain has two main snow-covered peaks – Batian (5 200 m) and Nelion (5 188 m). It is the highest mountain in the country and the second, after Kilimanjaro, in Africa.

The mountain slopes are covered in forest, bamboo, scrub and moorland giving way on high central peaks to rock, ice and snow. Its U-shaped glacial valleys, rugged snow-capped peaks, Afro-alpine desert, thirty lakes and eight different natural forest types and a variety of wildlife species make it a convergence of natural attractions. The wildlife found in the park include giant forest hog, tree hyrax, white-tailed mongoose, black leopard, mountain bongo, elephant, black rhino, suni, black-fronted duiker, mole-rat and over 130 species of birds.[23] Activities taking place in the park include game drives, nature walks, mountain climbing, wildlife viewing, camping and cave exploration.

About fifteen kilometers out of Nyeri on the opposite side to Mt. Kenya is the Aberdare National Park. The Aberdares is an old volcanic mountain range with lower peaks due to a longer period of erosion. It offers views of Mount Kenya to the east and the Great Rift Valley to the west. Its unusual vegetation, rugged terrain, deep ravines cutting through its forested eastern and western slopes, clear water streams and waterfalls combine to create an area of great scenic beauty.[24] Its major attractions include the Lesatima and Kinangop peaks and many waterfalls, including the magnificent Karuru falls which drop 272 meters, Zaina falls which drop about 140 meters[25] and the Gura Falls which drop 305 meters.[26][27]

The park is home to many endangered species including the rare bongo, giant forest hog, packs of the now very rare wild dogs, and endemic mole-rat and mole shrew. Other game include a large population of black rhino, leopard servile, endemic bird species, reptiles and insects.[24] Activities include game drives and nature walks. Both brown and rainbow trout abound in the cool mountain streams. Within the park, lodges near watering holes offer close proximity night game viewing.[28] It was at Treetops Lodge that The Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (now Elizabeth II) was advised of the death of her father while on a honeymoon retreat, and her own ascent to the throne.[29] The park is also known for the Kimathi hideouts, the Mau-Mau Caves, and the Kimathi "post office" where agents used to drop messages for Mau Mau fighters during the guerrilla wars for Kenyan independence.

Close to the city are several privately owned ranches, many of which also serve as private wildlife sanctuaries like Solio Ranch, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Many higher-end tourists stay at these ranches, including celebrities such as Bill Gates.[30]

Provincial Administration

Nyeri, as aforesaid, had been the Provincial Headquarters of the now defunct Central Province. The fate of the Provincial Administration is now the subject of intense national debate as the country transits to the new Constitution's new governance structure. In the interim, the Central Provincial Commissioner (PC) remains in Nyeri.[31] Under him remain the District Commissioner, Nyeri Central District (DC), the Divisional Officers (DO), the Locational Chiefs and the Assistant Chiefs.[32]

Government Departments

Various Central Provincial and Nyeri Central District departments of the various ministries of the Government of Kenya,[33] and central provincial offices of several Kenya Government departments and State Corporations are also still based in Nyeri.

Security

The Central Provincial Police Officer (PPO) of the Kenya Police Service, and under him, as one of the police divisional heads, the Nyeri Divisional Police Commander (OCPD)are based in Nyeri.[34]

Nyeri is currently awaiting to be awarded the city status with a certified charter, however its recent growth proves that it is a city. The county assembly is composed of elected MCAs and a county governor. The county legislative system is also led by a county speaker. The Council is based at the Nyeri city Hall. Since the new constitution was promulgated, the administration is handled by the County Government.

Nyeri Municipality is a parliamentary constituency known as Nyeri Town Constituency represented in the National Assembly by an elected Member of Parliament. Hon. Duncan Maina Mathenge is the current Member of Parliament.