About Tharaka Nithi Way Back When
Brief Overview of Tharaka Nithi County
Up until 1992, the place we now call Tharaka Nithi County was a part of Meru District, also known as Greater Meru, which was broken up into four regions of Meru Central, Meru North, Meru South and Tharaka. Soon after, Meru South, then dubbed Nithi District, was combined with Tharaka to create Tharaka Nithi District. In 1998, Tharaka Nithi District was also hived into two districts, Tharaka and Nithi, but in 2009 the Kenya Supreme Court upended, reversed and remerged the split. In 2010, under the new Constitution of Kenya it became Tharaka Nithi County.
Which is to also say that Tharaka Nithi and neighbouring Meru County are more or less homogenous, historically and culturally, being the enclaves and homelands of the Ameru community. A Bantu tribe whose place of origin is Mbwaa more proper Manda Island along the coast of Kenya, they migrated into their present land in the early 18th Century. As the take of origin tells, their ancestors were under imminent siege and undue conquest by a neighbouring people, probably Arabs from one of the nearby trading principalities. In consequence, the Ameru chose to hastily flee.
Existing evidence suggests that the Ameru period of migration to their present homeland lasted about three decades. During the initial stage, they crossed the River Tana, somewhere near its mouth, then followed its southern bank inland. Later, they skipped the river and moved northwest through an exigent arid region, where water was obtainable only from seasonal rivers, or swamps. Initially they moved northward, crossing the wet areas. Soon, changing ecological conditions forced them westwards, following river systems to the slopes of Mount Kenya.
All Meru sub-tribes briefly settled in the present day Tharaka. On arrival in their new homeland, it is said they met a native community of a people called Gumba, which they assimilated into the Meru culture and language. Some Gumba latter generation is said to be traceable in Tharaka even in the present day. For example, it is speculated that one sub-clan of Kanyaki Clan in Tharaka are ‘Gumbas’. They are sometimes referred in derogatory language as, ‘gumba’ or ‘rumbeere’ which is translates to as the alien ‘gumbas’ or as the insignificant community of Mbeere.
Eventually, the seven subtribes – Chuka, Muthambi, Mwimbi, Imenti, Tigania, Igembe and Tharaka – sought to disperse to different locations they reside today, according to each sub-tribe; owing to increasing population and need to annex more farmland. They therefore dispersed from Tharaka at Igaironi near Kibuuka Falls, which means a place of sub-division of inheritance to the current locations. It is from there the sub-tribes dispersed to the regions they reside presently. The seven sub-tribes of Meru stretch from River Thuci in Chuka to the South, and Nyambene Ranges to the North. On the West is Imenti and to the East is Tharaka.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the larger Meru District came under British colonial rule. The colonial administration disrupted traditional governance systems and introduced cash crops like coffee and tea. The Tharaka and Meru people resisted colonial rule, particularly against forced labor and land alienation. The Mau Mau uprising in the 1950s saw some participation from the region. Still, after self rule, these nations maintain their cultural heritage, including traditional dances, music, and ceremonies. Then and now, the Njuri Ncheke, a council of elders, continues to play a role in conflict resolution and cultural preservation.
The Meru community call God, Murungu and Mt. Kenya, Kirinyaga shortened from Kirima kia Nyaga (“The Mountain of Ostriches”). It was their paramount traditional sacred place; because that is where the Murungu resided and revealed himself to the community. Meru community had other small sacred places of worship and sacrifices called shrines. The communities were organized into clans, with elders playing a significant role in governance and conflict resolution. They practiced ancestral religion and had rich cultural customs, including rituals and ceremonies.
The Ameru nation was soon redefined as the union of eight or nine closely related and linguistically mutually intelligible Bantu societies: Igoji, Imenti, Tigania, Miutine and Igembe in the north, roughly constituting today’s Meru County; and Mwimbi, Muthambi, Tharaka and the more distinct Chuka, roughly forming Tharaka Nithi County. Together these societies thrived, and still live, to the east and south east of Mount Kenya. And this is how things stood, on the wend of colonial Kenya, for the otherwise defined nation as those ethnic groups speaking Kimeru dialects and predominantly living within the boundaries of Meru District at pre-independence.
Although Tharaka Nithi County is not a prominent touring circuit, it is a beautiful, diverse area known for its stunning landscapes, cultural heritage, and agricultural economy. Taking after the character of its closely homogenous neighbours around Mount Kenya, Tharaka Nithi, with very good roads, is easy to access and traverse.
You Are Here: Tharaka Nithi County
Where to Next?
Explore Destinations in Tharaka Nithi County
A Guide to Tharaka Nithi County
A Summa Digest of Tharaka Nithi
About Tharaka Nithi Way Back When
35 Destinations in Tharaka Nithi County, arranged as one would visit these - south to northeast - with the aid of in-depth narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:
Chuka Forest, Tredds Garden, The Hidden Falls, Hidden Treasure Lodge, Nithi Bridge, Weru Tea Factory, Whispers Garden, Pacha Waterfront Resort, PCEA Chogoria, Mount Kenya National Park, Anabas Alpine Lodge, Chogoria Trail, Nithi Falls, Lake Michaelson, Vivienne Falls, Kierra Ridge, Kierra Viewpoint, Thimbora, Mutunguruni Tree, Inanduru Caves, Kijegge Range, Kibuuka Grand Falls, River Tana, Mumoni Hill Reserve, Mwingi National Reserve, Kajuki Eco Lodge, Marimanti Baobab Lodge, Ikwa Falls, Mutejwa National Reserve, Meru National Park, Elsa's Grave, Ura Gate Festival, Ura Waterfalls
Know More About Tharaka Nithi: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including a distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments
What’s The Air Like in T. Nithi.?
Temperatures in the highland areas range between 14oC to 30oC, while those in the low land range between 22oC to 36oC. Rain vary with altitude.
What’s The Lay Of The Land in C.13?
The highest altitude within Tharaka Nithi County is about 5,200 ms at Chuka, Maara, and Igambang’ombe, and the lowest is 600 ms at Tharaka. The entire county is strewn with large masses of hillocks.