Country Kenya University Muranga University College Area 2,325.8 km2 | Capital Muranga | |
Muranga County is one of the counties of Kenyas former Central Province. Its largest town is Muranga its capital, called Fort Hall in colonial times (before 1963). It is inhabited mainly by and is considered the home of the Kikuyu, the largest community in Kenya. The county has a population of 942,581 (2009 census). Many have traveled to Muranga to enjoy the lush foliage (www.planning.go.ke). On the road to the post office the road forks leading traveler to take the road to Nyeri via Kiria-ini and beyond or the road to the Muranga Technical College. As the traveler walks along the road, an old English pub sits along the road on the right. Over the course of several years Muranga became a site for placement of Peace Corps volunteers (www.peacecorps.com)
Contents
Map of Muranga County
History
When missionaries first came to Kenya, they were prevented from settling on the coast by the Portuguese, who had taken the coastal area, strategic for trade, from Arab powers in the 16th century. The missionaries were forced to venture into Kenyas rugged interior, and Muranga was one of the first places they settled.
When the British set up the East African Protectorate in 1895, their first administrative post, Fort Smith, was located in Muranga.
One on the main highlights of Murangas history, however, is that the Mau Mau uprising was led by the Kikuyu community and the Kikuyu consider Muranga their ancestral origin. Muranga is considered by some as the birthplace of the Kenyan independence movement.