Eccentric Settlers in Meru
Edward Butler Horne: District Commissioner
Soon after his arrival in Meru in 1907 as the District Commissioner, Edward Butler Horne earnestly set about the onerous task of bringing the modern world to this back-country. A man of great organizational skills and healthy optimism, he took upon himself many projects that were bedevilled by a cash shortage, non-extant infrastructure, and a lugubrious if not distrustful salute by the locals. Nicknamed ‘Kangangi’ by the local people for his love of wandering all over their land, Horne granted United Methodist Church territorial rights in Meru where they first put up a mission station at Kagaa in 1912. The next move was to mobilize the children.
Initially focused on boys only, for “kusoma”, the Kiswahili word for reading, which came to mean Christianity, the two were goals were inseparable. Beyond doubt one of the foremost modern schools in Meru, St. Mary’s High School at Igoji was started on April 11, 1943, by the Consolata Sisters, as an intermediate school for girls on a five-acre piece of land donated by the community. Many of the original buildings are still standing, including the kitchen and attached vintage dining hall, dormitories and the classrooms. Walls are built of chisel dressed stone under a corrugated iron sheets housetop. The windows are glazed in wooden casements with wire mesh protection while the doors are made of timber match-boarding.
1900 marked the arrival and influence of various settlers, notably of the British and Indians, attracted by fertile agricultural lands and untapped market for trade. These settlers and individuals, some famous as local eccentrics, left lasting legacies in Kenya’s history, contributing to its cultural, economic, and political development. The legacies of the eccentrics are still much-talked about today.
Index of Eccentric Settlers in Kenya
Kiambu County - William Northrup McMillan, Kilifi County - Johann Ludwig Krapf, Mombasa County - Allidina Visram, Makueni County - Peter Cameron Scott, Machakos County - Frank O'Brien Wilson, Meru County - Edward B. Horne, Muranga County - John Bayes, Nakuru County - Lord Maurice Egerton, Lord Delamere, Diana Delamere, Alan Root, Galbraith Lowry Egerton Cole, Lady Eleanor Balfour, Nairobi County - Karen Blixen, Lord Erroll, Alice de Janzé, Derek Erskine, Nyandarua County - Geoffrey Buxton, John W. Etherington, Robert F. Carnegie, Nyeri County - Major Eric Sherbrooke Walker, Robert Baden-Powell, William Holden, Samburu County - Rhodia Mann, Taita Taveta County - Ewart Grogan, Denys Finch Hatton, Tana River County - George G. Adamson
Famous for its wildlife, rich agricultural lands, and stunning natural attractions, Meru County, on the north-eastern slopes of Mount Kenya, is the immemorial enclave of the Ameru nation. Inhabited mainly by the sub-tribes of Imenti, Tigania, Igembe, and Tharaka, Meru County has one of the best developed touring circuits.
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A Guide to Meru County
A Summa Digest of Meru
About Meru Way Back When
65 Destinations in Meru County, arranged as one would visit these - south, north, east then west - with the aid of in-depth narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:
Kierra Valley, Kierra Ridge, St. Mary’s High School, Anabas Resort Trout and Seafood Grill, Tharuu Springs, Giitune Sacred Forest, M.Mpuri Cultural Centre, Meru Museum, St. Joseph's Cathedral, Meru Sports Club, Alba Hotel, Kathita Falls, Irine (Devil's Bridge) Falls, Cool Stream Garden, Thiiri Cultural Centre, Kaaga Methodist Church, Kaaga War Memorial, Kiathandi Hill, Mpogoro Forest, Stone Woman Kieiga Forest, Njuri Ncheke Headquarters at Nchiru, Ngaya Forest, Meru National Park, Twin Baobab Tree, Elsa’s Kopje, Ikweta Safari Camp, Adamson Falls Bridge, Rhino River Camp, Giant Meru Oak, Lake Nkunga, Mucheene Forest Station, Mucheene Cave, Lake Thai, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Sirikoi House, Nyambene Reserve, Liga Ria Ngutu, Lake Magado, Ngare-Ndare Forest Reserve, Ngare-Ndare Falls, Mount Kenya National Park, Sirimon Route, Mount Kenya One Day Trip, Theemwe Route, Theemwe Springs, Marania Route, Lake Rutundu, Rutundu Log Cabins, Chogoria Route, Nithi Falls, The Gates Falls, Lake Alice, Lake Ellis, Lake Michaelson, Vivienne Falls, Timau River Lodge, Wonky House, Tamalu Farm, Charanna Farm, Kisima Farm, Kisimani Resort, Mwonyo Valley, Giant Footprints
Know More About Meru County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments
Meru County’s positioning on the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya and the equator has highly influenced its natural conditions and economic prospects. Altitude ranges from 300m to 5,199m asl.
The topography of Meru County has a critical influence on its climate. Temperatures range from a low of 8 Degrees to a high of 32 Degrees Celsius during the cold and hot seasons respectively.
