Tharaka-Nithi County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya located in Kenya located in the eastern Mount Kenya region. The county has an area of 2609 km2 and as of the 2019 census a population of 393,177. It is home to the Meru people.
Tharaka-Nithi County is home to the Chuka, Muthambi, Mwimbi and Tharaka subgroups of the Ameru community. The people of Tharaka-Nithi County are predominantly Christian, with Catholics, Presbyterians, and Methodists being the predominant religious communities.
The county consists of three constituencies: Maara, Chuka and Tharaka.
History In 1992, Meru District was broken up into four new districts: Meru Central, Meru North, Meru South and Tharaka. Subsequently, Meru South, also known as Nithi, combined with Tharaka into the Tharaka-Nithi District. In 1998, the Tharaka-Nithi District was split into two districts, Nithi and Tharaka,Sheila Aikman, Elaine Unterhalter: (2005) Beyond access: transforming policy and practice for gender equality in education. Oxfam, page 107. but a 2009 High Court decision declared that split unconstitutional and re-combined the two. Subsequently, under the revised constitution of 2010, Tharaka-Nithi became a county.
Economy Like other counties surrounding Mount Kenya, the primary economic activity in Tharaka-Nithi County is farming. Crops planted include tea and coffee in the higher areas of the county while sorghum, maize, green grams and millet in the low altitude areas. Dairy farming and fish farming are also practiced in the county.
Religion Religion in Tharaka-Nithi County
Religion (2019 Census)NumberCatholicism108,266Protestantism 172,266Evangelical churches 70,043African-instituted churches 18,749Orthodoxy2,656Other Christian9.114Islam724Hinduism 9Traditionism251Other4,082No religion or atheism4.461Don't know615Not stated67
Prominent personalities Bernard Mate, politician; member of the Legislative Council and Parliament Muthomi Njuki, governor of Tharaka-Nithi County Kithure Kindiki, Deputy president, politician; former Senator and former Cabinet Secretary of Interior and Administration Mzalendo Kibunjia, archaeologist and museum director James Ngugi, entrepreneur and economist Erastus Njoka, politician and former and founding vice chancellor of Chuka University. Peter K. Muriungi, the first and founding vice chancellor of Tharaka University.
See also Isiolo County Meru County Embu County Kitui County
References
External links Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – Kenya AdminLevels 1-4 (.pdf) Muthomi Njuki Elected Governor – Tharaka Nithi County 2017