Thika

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Location of Thika in Kenya

Thika is northeast of Nairobi, toward Mount Kenya (click map to enlarge)

Thika is a market town in Central Province, Kenya, lying on the A2 road 40 km north east of Nairobi, and on the Thika River. Thika has a population of 88,265 (1999 census)^[1] and is growing rapidly, like the entire greater Nairobi area. The elevation of Thika is 1531 meters (5026 feet) in altitude.^[2]

Thika, Kenya is home to the Chania Falls and the Thika Falls, while Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park lies to its south east. The town has a railway station, but there is only limited passenger service. The town is headquarters of the Thika District. The district is the prime pineapple-growing region in Kenya.

Thika is close to "Fourteen Falls" which is a popular picnic site.

Thika was formerly a center for light industry, but the focus has shifted to the Athi River. The decline of the textile industry has hit local firms, including Thika Cloth Mills (TCM), which is a cotton to fabric manufacturer that competes against Egyptian & Chinese manufacturers.

The Flame Trees of Thika (Memories of an African Childhood) is a book by Elspeth Huxley, later adapted for television by the BBC. It describes the life of English settlers in the "White Highlands" in Edwardian times. A flame tree turns entirely reddish orange in June each year, depending on the previous rainfall.

1 History of Thika
2 Schools in Thika
3 Notes
4 External links

[edit] History of Thika

There are two explanations for the name Thika. One has it's origin in the Kikuyu word Guthika, meaning to bury. During a great drought, the Maasai ventured outside of their normal territories looking for water for their huge herds of cattle. Two rivers pass through Kikuyu land, River Thika and Chania, both providing sustenance for the agricultural Kikuyu. With this water in contention, and both tribes desperate for survival, they fought a bloody battle that left few survivors. A mound near Blue Posts Hotel supposedly is where the dead warriors were buried.

The other explanation come from the Maasai word Sika meaning rubbing something off an edge.

Towards the end of the 19th century, outsiders began to settle in this outpost, a convenient resting spot between Nairobi and upcountry. Europeans and Asians arrived, the former setting up farms, and the latter setting up shops.

[edit] Schools in Thika

Gatumaini Primary School
Mugomoini Primary School
St Patrick's Primary School
Chania High School
Equator High School
Thika High School
Thika High School for the Blind
Imani School (Kindergarten - Form IV)

[edit] Notes

^ "Population of Local Authorities" (with towns), Government of Kenya, 1999, webpage: GovtKenya-Population-PDF.
^ "Thika, Kenya Page" (statistics), Falling Rain Genomics, Inc., 2004, FallingRain.com webpage: FallingRainCom-Thika.