Murang’a County<\/a> to the south-west.<\/p>\nDemographics<\/h2>\n
The 2019 KNBS census recorded 610,411 residents at about 506 people per km², well above the national average. Density is highest along the Kerugoya–Kutus–Kagumo ridge and in the irrigated Mwea settlement blocks, and lowest in the forest zone, which is uninhabited.<\/p>\n
The county is predominantly Kikuyu, with Ndia and Gichugu recognised as distinct local dialects. Mwea’s irrigation scheme has drawn tenant farmers and labourers from across Kenya since the 1950s. That makes the southern sub-county the most mixed part of Kirinyaga, and Swahili is widely used there.<\/p>\n
Economy and Local Life<\/h2>\n
Rice defines the county. The Mwea Irrigation Scheme is the largest in Kenya and produces the great majority of the national rice crop, mostly aromatic Pishori and Basmati varieties grown by tenant farmers on gazetted plots. Milling and trading in Wanguru, Kimbimbi and Kagio run on it, and the Thiba Dam has made a reliable second crop possible.<\/p>\n
On the higher ground, coffee and tea are the main cash crops, with smallholder factories at Kianyaga, Kagumo and Baricho. Horticulture — tomatoes, French beans, Asian vegetables and bananas — supplies Nairobi and export packers. Sagana is a river-tourism base for white-water rafting on the Tana, and the county has an active brick and sand-harvesting trade along the lower rivers.<\/p>\n
History<\/h2>\n
Kirinyaga takes its name from the Kikuyu name for Mount Kenya, understood as the mountain of brightness or of the ostrich, for the black-and-white pattern of rock and snow on its peaks. The mountain is the reference point in Kikuyu religious practice, and homesteads were traditionally built facing it.<\/p>\n
The Mwea scheme began in the 1950s during the Emergency, when detainees were held in camps in the area and used to clear and dig the first irrigation canals. It was converted to a tenant-farmer scheme after independence and expanded steadily from there.<\/p>\n
Getting There<\/h2>\n
Kerugoya is roughly 120 km from Nairobi. The usual route is the A2 north to Sagana, then east on the Sagana–Embu road, turning off at Kutus. Sagana sits at the junction where the Mount Kenya and Embu roads split, which makes it the county’s main gateway.<\/p>\n
The metre-gauge Nanyuki branch railway stops at Sagana, and the revived passenger service from Nairobi uses it. Matatus run all day from Nairobi to Kerugoya, Kutus and Wanguru, taking about two and a half hours. There is no commercial airport; light aircraft use farm and scheme airstrips in Mwea.<\/p>\n
FAQ<\/h2>\nWhat is the capital of Kirinyaga County?<\/h3>\n
Kerugoya is the county headquarters. It sits on the ridge above Kutus, about 120 km from Nairobi.<\/p>\n
How many towns and villages are in Kirinyaga County?<\/h3>\n
This page lists 139 mapped towns, villages and trading centres in Kirinyaga County.<\/p>\n
What are the sub-counties of Kirinyaga?<\/h3>\n
Kirinyaga has four sub-counties, matching its constituencies: Mwea, Gichugu, Ndia and Kirinyaga Central.<\/p>\n
What is the population of Kirinyaga County?<\/h3>\n
The 2019 census counted 610,411 people in Kirinyaga County, over 1,205.4 km².<\/p>\n
Why is Kirinyaga famous for rice?<\/h3>\n
The Mwea Irrigation Scheme in the south of the county is Kenya’s largest, and grows most of the country’s rice, chiefly Pishori and Basmati.<\/p>\n
Which counties border Kirinyaga?<\/h3>\n
Nyeri to the west and north-west, Embu to the east, and Murang’a to the south-west.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kirinyaga is county 020 of Kenya’s 47, in the former Central Province, with its capital at Kerugoya. The 2019 census counted 610,411 residents across 1,205.4 km², about 506 people per km². Kirinyaga is the Kikuyu name for Mount Kenya, whose southern slopes form the county’s northern boundary. Fact Value Capital Kerugoya County code 020 Population […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Kirinyaga County: Towns, Villages, Population & Map","_seopress_titles_desc":"Kirinyaga County (020), Central Kenya: capital Kerugoya, 610,411 people (2019), 1,205.4 km2, 4 sub-counties, home of the Mwea rice scheme. 139 towns listed.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"class_list":["post-30","central","type-central","status-publish","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/central\/30","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/central"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/central"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}