HISTORY OF THE MERU PEOPLE OF KENYA

When you mention Africa to anyone in the world, the first thing that comes to mind is a continent rich in geographical and historical sites. Although it is viewed as a place of illiteracy, barbaric cultures, and underdevelopment, there is a positive aspect of rich nature. From the larger African continent, on Africa's coast, is a country known as "the cradle of civilization." Getting straight to my point of view, lying on approximately 13000km2 of Kenyas’ coverage is Meru county that stretches from River Thuci in south to Isiolo district in the north,which is commonly identified to the Meru people as “kuma Thuci mwanka Ntonyiri” (from Thuci to Ntonyiri) , the community that is an origin of the Bantu people lives on the fertile agricultural northeastern slope of Mount Kenya in the Eastern Province of Kenya.

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Different recounts show the different origins of the Meru people, in which there is the aspect that before settling to their present land they had come from the far North, and according to a Njuri Ncheke elder they migrated from Misiri(Egypt). Another recount which most of us learned from our social studies class in the primary level states that the Meru community migrated from “Mbwaa ntune” which according to oral traditions identify it as present-day Yemen others identify it with Manda island near Lamu, which was a large water body that they crossed by magical means after escaping from the “red people” generally taken to mean the Arabs who had enslaved them. They followed a route that led them to Marsabit hills where they stayed for some time and due to hostile conditions they traveled further south until they came to the Tana River basin. Traditions say they went as far south as Tanzania until finally reaching the Mount Kenya area. What an amazing history, am guessing that comes with the reason of Meru people being tough, they had a lot of tough conditions to endure.

Meru people are divided into seven sections, Igoji, Imenti, Igembe, Tigania, Mwimbi, Miutine, and Muthambi. The Chuka and Tharaka are now considered Meru but have totally different histories and religions, actually they are more of Embu people but linguistically they are Meru.

Notable among the Meru community is there system of government by a council of elders (Njuri-Ncheke) which I would mention as the only legalized traditional body in modern Kenya. Language: Meru (or Kimeru) which is similar to other bantu languages e.g Kikuyu, Embu

Population: 1,305,000 (1994) and 1,300,000 (1996) 5.6% of Kenyas population

Geographically: occupies three districts ;Meru, Nyambene, Tharaka-Nithi

Economical way of life; Mixed agriculture cultivation with crops and animals with Miraa being termed as their main cash crop.

Religion: most of them are Christians with a very small percent being muslims Political ; member of the GEMA(Gikuyu,Embu, Meru Association).