Mount Kenya region

Mt Kenya region Eneo la Mlima Kenya (Sw) Murîma
Region
Nakuru City , Mt Kenya , Tea Farming in Limuru, Thompson Falls , Meru National park
Location of Mt Kenya Region in Kenya
Country	Kenya
Counties	List Embu Kiambu Kirinyaga Laikipia Meru Murang’a Nakuru Nyandarua Nyeri Tharaka-Nithi
Largest City	Nakuru
Area
• Total	42,563 km2 (16,434 sq mi)
Population  (2019)
• Total	10,710,491
• Estimate  (2025)	11,909,000
• Density	251.6/km2 (652/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)
• Total	$77.61 billion (2023)
• Per Capita	$6,826 (2023)
GDP (NOMINAL)
• Total	$26.04 Billion (2023)
• Per Capita	$2,291 (2023)
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)
HDI (2023)	0.643 - medium
Data for the Mt Kenya region is an aggregate of individual county figures.

The Mt. Kenya region, colloquially referred to as Murima (meaning "The Mountain" in Kikuyu), is a geographic and cultural area located in the central part of Kenya, surrounding Mount Kenya. It comprises 10 counties: Embu, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Meru, Tharaka-Nithi, Kiambu, Laikipia, Nyandarua, and Nakuru too due to Kenya geopolitics. The region’s major urban centers include Nakuru and Thika, with Nakuru being one of Kenya’s largest cities. As of 2025 the region has approximately 11 Million peoples of which they are predominantly composed of Highland Bantu ethnic groups, notably the Agikuyu, Aembu, Ameru, Ambeere, and Atharaka communities.

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.

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.).

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. 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.

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.

Counties of the Mt. Kenya Region (Ranked by Area)

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

Mt Kenya Region Counties by GDP

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

Mt Kenya Region by GDP per Capita

Regional GDP in Mt Kenya in USD Billion Dollars

Rank	County	GDP (Nominal)	GDP (PPP)	Per Capita (Nominal)	Per Capita (PPP)
Mt Kenya Region		26.044	77.610	2,291	6,826
1	Nakuru	6.091	18.151	2,649	7,894
2	Kiambu	5.898	17.575	2,266	6,754
3	Meru	3.752	11.180	2,336	6,962
4	Murang’a	2.070	6.169	1,881	5,606
5	Nyeri	2.056	6.126	2,487	7,410
6	Nyandarua	1.634	4.868	2,393	7,130
7	Embu	1.510	4.499	2,353	7,011
8	Kirinyaga	1.359	4.051	2,098	6,253
9	Laikipia	0.993	2.960	1,805	5,378
10	Tharaka-Nithi	0.682	2.031	1,655	4,931

Poverty

Poverty in Mt Kenya

The poverty rate in Mt Kenya averages approximately 30.43%, with individual county rates ranging from a low of 19.9% in Kiambu to a high of 38.2% in Nakuru. Other counties such as Kirinyaga (23.1%), Embu (24.3%), and Nyeri (26.0%) also record relatively low rates, while Tharaka-Nithi (36.1%) and Nyandarua (34.5%) remain slightly above the regional average. Despite intra-regional variations, all Mt Kenya counties fall within the lower spectrum of poverty nationally, reflecting a generally lower incidence of poverty compared to other parts of the country.

Mt Kenya Counties by Rate Value

Rank in Kenya	County	Rate
30	Nakuru	38.2
31	Laikipia	38.0
34	Tharaka-Nithi	36.1
36	Nyandarua	34.5
37	Meru	34.1
Mt Kenya region		30.4
39	Murang’a	30.1
43	Nyeri	26.0
44	Embu	24.3
45	Kirinyaga	23.1
46	Kiambu	19.9

Demographics

Mt Kenya Region - Historical Population

Year	Population (in 'Millions)	Growth Rate
2020	11.010	-
2021	11.189	1.63%
2022	11.369	1.61%
2023	11.548	1.57%
2024	11.729	1.57%
2025	11.909	1.53%
2030	12.800	1.50%

As of 2025 the population of Mt Kenya Region is 11.90 which is a 1.83% increase from 2024. Kiambu County is the most populous County with 2.7 Million people, Followed by Nakuru County 2.4 Million people, The two counties also had the highest population growth, Tharaka-Nithi and Kirinyaga had the least population growth with 0.95% and 0.91% respectively

Population in Mt Kenya region by County

Population in Mt Kenya (2020-2030)(in thousands)

	County	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2030 (projection)
Mt Kenya Region		11,010	11,189	11,369	11,548	11,729	11,909	12,800
1	Kiambu	2,501	2,552	2,602	2,653	2,704	2,754	3,006
2	Nakuru	2,202	2,251	2,299	2,348	2,397	2,445	2,690
3	Meru	1,565	1,586	1,606	1,626	1,646	1,666	1,765
4	Murang'a	1,077	1,088	1,100	1,112	1,124	1,136	1,194
5	Nyeri	810	818	827	835	844	853	895
6	Nyandarua	657	670	683	696	708	721	783
7	Kirinyaga	637	642	648	653	658	664	690
8	Embu	629	635	642	648	655	662	692
9	Laikipia	529	539	550	561	572	583	639
10	Tharaka-Nithi	403	408	412	416	421	425	446

Religion

Christianity is the dominant religion in Mt Kenya with 96% adherent's, Protestantism was the largest denomination with around 36% being Protestants with Meru County and Tharaka-Nithi County having the more than 40% Protestans, Evangelism and Catholicism followed with around 23% , African Instituted Churches represented 8% of the Population. Islam was a minority religion with only 0.78% of the population being Islamic. 1.73% were Irreligious with Laikipia County and Nakuru County having the most Irreligious people

Religious Affiliation in Mt Kenya Region Counties

County	Christianity	Protestant	Catholic	Evangelical Churches	African Instituted Churches	Orthodox	Other Christian	Islam	Hindu	Traditionists	Other Religion	No religion / Atheists	Don't Know	Not Stated
Mt Kenya	96.06%	36.50%	22.84%	23.73%	8.01%	0.59%	4.38%	0.78%	0.04%	0.19%	1.03%	1.73%	0.16%	0.01%
Embu	97.39%	36.62%	26.98%	22.71%	8.43%	0.60%	2.06%	0.47%	0.02%	0.06%	0.81%	1.14%	0.11%	0.01%
Kiambu	96.66%	36.74%	24.51%	21.86%	7.79%	0.74%	5.01%	0.89%	0.05%	0.13%	0.81%	1.28%	0.16%	0.02%
Kirinyaga	97.94%	39.73%	29.61%	20.19%	5.63%	0.38%	2.40%	0.40%	0.03%	0.04%	0.55%	0.92%	0.12%	0.01%
Laikipia	92.22%	29.71%	28.75%	21.15%	6.86%	0.32%	5.42%	1.65%	0.04%	1.39%	1.41%	3.05%	0.24%	0.01%
Meru	96.26%	40.06%	20.40%	23.82%	8.42%	0.62%	2.96%	0.82%	0.02%	0.13%	1.23%	1.37%	0.15%	0.02%
Murang'a	97.63%	39.42%	24.68%	19.70%	9.86%	0.49%	3.49%	0.35%	0.01%	0.09%	0.73%	1.09%	0.09%	0.01%
Nakuru	93.69%	32.85%	16.31%	30.23%	7.19%	0.57%	6.53%	1.19%	0.08%	0.21%	1.43%	3.16%	0.23%	0.01%
Nyandarua	95.94%	30.46%	17.13%	30.69%	11.15%	0.58%	5.92%	0.15%	0.01%	0.11%	1.38%	2.31%	0.09%	0.01%
Nyeri	97.75%	37.96%	27.95%	19.27%	9.09%	0.63%	2.84%	0.60%	0.02%	0.08%	0.61%	0.81%	0.13%	0.00%
Tharaka-Nithi	97.39%	44.02%	27.67%	17.90%	4.79%	0.68%	2.33%	0.19%	0.00%	0.06%	1.04%	1.14%	0.16%	0.02%

Human Development

HDI of Mt Kenya region Counties

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		0.643
5	Nakuru	0.641
6	Nyandarua	0.637
7	Laikipia	0.635
8	Meru	0.632
9	Tharaka Nithi	0.626
10	Murang’a	0.625

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.

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. Dedan Kimathi – Mau Mau Leader

• 4. Mwai Kibaki – Third President of Kenya

• 5. Uhuru Kenyatta – Fourth President of Kenya

• 6. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o – Novelist & Decolonization Advocate

• 7. Musa Mwariama – Mau Mau Field Marshal

• 8. Martha Karua – Politician & Former Justice Minister

• 9. Rigathi Gachagua – Deputy President

• 10. Simon Gicharu – Founder, Mount Kenya University