Mukurwe-ini
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Mukurwe-ini is one of the seven administrative Divisions of Nyeri District in Central Province of Kenya. It is headquarters is located at Kiahungu Township.
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[edit] Overview
Mukurwe-ni borders Ndia Division (Kirinyaga) to the south-east, Mathira and Tetu Divisions to the North, Othaya Division to the West and Kiharu and Mathioya Divisions (Murang’a) to the south. The Division is the smallest in size in Nyeri District and is divided into seven administrative locations namely Gakindu, Giathugu, Gikondi, Githi, Muhito, Rutune and Thanu. The locations also constitute the electoral wards for the Nyeri County Council.
Kiahungu Township, the Divisional headquarters is located in Muhito location and is the seat for the Divisional government (DO’s) offices, Mukurwe-ini Sub-District Hospital, a branch of the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), the Nyeri Farmers Sacco, the Wakulima Dairy Farmers Sacco and the Divisional offices for the Nyeri County Council.
The Division’s administrative boundaries also constitute the Parliamentary electoral area known as Mukurwe-ini Constituency. The electoral area was initially known as south Tetu constituency but was renamed Mukurwe-ini in 1971, and ratified in 1974 when Othaya Division was hived off and made an electoral area. The Hon. Mutahi Kagwe who is also the Minister for Information and Communications in the Government of Kenya represents the constituency in Parliament. Past Members of Parliament (MPs) for the area include the late Messrs Wariithi Mutahi(1964-69,1974-79, and 1979-83), Mwai Koigi(1969-74) and Ngumbu Njururi(1983-88 and 1988-92). The immediate former Member of Parliament is Mr. Muhika Mutahi, a prominent farmer and businessman who is the leading light behind the Wakulima Dairy Farmers Association.
[edit] Education
The major educational institutions located in the Division are South Tetu Girls’, Mweru and Kaheti High Schools, Kiangoma, Giathugu, Ngoru, Gikondi, Mihuti, Wamutitu, Tambaya, Gathungururu, Ndia-ini, Rutune, Kibutio,Karindi, Kimondo, Kihuti and Kaharo Secondary Schools and the Reverend Muhoro School for the Deaf. Notable health facilities in the Division include the Mukurwe-ini Sub-District Hospital, a fully fledged hospital with ward and surgical facilities, the Gikondi Mission Hospital, Karaba, Mweru, Giathugu and Gumba Health Centres and Mihuti Dispensary.
[edit] Religion
The people of Mukurwe-ini are very religious with the great majority of them being Christians. The main Christian churches in the Division are the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA), the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, the Full Gospel Church, Orthodox Church and the New Apostolic Church. There is little or no noticeable presence of Muslims in the area.
The early Christian churches were instrumental in the advancement of education in the area. As a consequence, the area is home to many prominent personalities in private, business and public life in Kenya. The most notable personalities from the area are the First Lady of Kenya H.E. Mrs Lucy Kibaki, Hon. Mutahi Kagwe, and Mr Cyrus Maina (former Provincial Commissioner Nairobi and Coast Province), the late E.K. Wachira, a prominent businessman and Francis Wanganju of Co-operative Bank of Kenya who hail from Muhito Location. Rutune location is the home of Mr. Kabando wa Kabando, the CEO of the Kenya Hotel Keepers and Caterers Association and Chairman of Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company. Giathugu location boasts of the late Hon. Ngumbu Njururi, Mr. Ephraim Gathaiya, the CEO Helpage Kenya and former Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross Society, Mr.Peterson Mwangi Muriithi, National Vice-Chairperson of POSTA Sacco, Capt. Collins Wanderi Munyiri, Forensic and Litigation Services Manager, KPMG - East Africa. Mr. Njagi Gakunju, the CEO, AAR Health Services and Mr. Kihara Muttu, Member of the Electoral Commission of Kenya. Githi is home to Mr. Muhika Mutahi, the immediate former MP for Mukurwe-ini and Francis Maina Ndugire, the Director of Nyeri District co-operatives and former Chairman of the giant, but now defunct Mukurwe-ini Coffee Farmers Co-operative Society.
[edit] Agriculture
The people of Mukurwe-ini are mainly farmers and whereas coffee is the main cash crop in the area, most of them practice subsistence farming due to little land acreage. The north- west tip of the Division adjacent to Othaya has a few farmers who grow tea. The area is well endowed and has several permanent rivers and numerous springs and streams. The include Rwarai, Gura, Mugono, Thagana, Ndurumo, Thiha, Gathera and Ithanji rivers. There is however very little land irrigation activity yet the area experiences a long dry spell in the year. The failure to harness these abundant water resources for commercial farming through irrigation is a great draw back to economic development in the Division as whole. The Division does not experience extreme weather conditions and has several scenic features. Wajee Nature Park, a bird conservancy, located in Giathugu Location is a good site for all nature and bird watchers. There are a number of falls along Rwarai river with scenic beauty and area sight to behold. The river valleys in Mukurwe – ini are home to many bird species a number of which are preserved at Wajee Nature Park. The camp has a high class restaurant and Boarding facilities which include pitched luxury tents. The lower parts of the Division particularly Rutune and Thanu Locations have sandy loam soils which are not conducive to subsistence farming. A few people are however involved in the growing of tobacco in the area.
[edit] Roads
The major roads in the Division are the Karatina – Mukurwe-ini – Gakindu – Othaya Road which is tarred. The road branches 2km before reaching Gakindu to connect Mukurwe-ini to [Nyeri] Town through Tambaya, Muthinga, Gichira and Kagumo College. The Mukurwe-ini – Mihuti – Giathugu – Mweru – Ngamwa – Gakonya road is the main road that connects most of the locations to the Divisional headquarters but is not tarred. The road also connects the division to Muranga and Kirinyaga Districts. It is however murrammed and is passable throughout the year. The tarring of this road can transform the economic fortunes of the people of Mukurwe-ini and has been a hot political issue in the Constituency for a long time. Other notable earth roads include the Kiahungu – Gikondi – Karaba road and the Ichamara – Thangathi – Thiha road.
