Nyeri
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Location of Nyeri in Kenya |
Nyeri is a town in
Kenya about 180km north of the capital Nairobi. It lies at the eastern base of the
Aberdare (
Nyandarua) Range that forms part of the eastern end of the
Great Rift Valley and on the western side of
Mount Kenya. Nyeri town is the administrative headquarters of
Central Province and
Nyeri District. The population was 98,908 in the
1999 census.
In the early colonial days Nyeri was a garrison, but it soon burgeoned into a trading centre for white farmers who produced cattle, wheat and coffee. They also came into town to drink and socialize. The White Rhino Hotel, Outspan Hotel and the Aberdare Country Club at nearby Mweiga are living reminders of the old days.
The local
scenery includes
Mount Kenya. The main industry is
farming.
Coffee and
tea are the main
cash crops and
maize is the staple food. There are many tourist destinations nearby.
A number of renowned people have hailed from Nyeri, most notably
Wangari Maathai Nobel Peace Prize winner in
2004,
Mwai Kibaki Kenya's third president,
Dedan Kimathi, a general in the
Mau Mau war against the British colonizers, and
Catherine Ndereba Olympic marathon Silver Medalist, four time Boston Marathon winner and multiple time winner of Chicago and other marathons.
The
Wajee Nature Park lies just south of the town. It is now the burial place of Lord
Robert Baden-Powell a hero of the Boer War and the founder of the
Scouting movement. He once wrote "the nearer to Nyeri the nearer to bliss". Baden-Powell's Paxtu cottage, now a small museum, stands on the grounds of the Outspan Hotel. He and his wife are buried in the town cemetery.
5 km along the road from the site of Baden-Powell's grave is the Mathari Mission settlement, which was constructed by Italian missionaries at the beginning of the 20th Century. The mission is home to a number of dwellings, stalls and the Consolatta hospital and School of Nursing. The hospital provides free care to the people of the surrounding area free of charge, and has a private wing for more wealthy patients. It is staffed largely by nuns of the Consolata order.
*
A detailed map of Nyeri and surroundings*
A good site for brief introduction*
Britannica's description of Nyeri*
Nyeri description 
