Kitui is a town and capital of

Kitui County Kitui County is a county in the former Eastern Province of Kenya. Its capital and largest town is Kitui, although Mwingi is also another major urban centre. The county has a population of 1,136,187 (2019 census). and an area of 30,430 km2. ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

, 180 kilometres east of

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

and 105 kilometres east of Machakos. it covers an area approximately 30,496.4 km squares and lies between latitudes 0°10 South and 3°0 South and longitudes 37°50 East and 39°0 East. It borders seven counties i.e Machakos and Makueni counties to the west, Tana River County to the east and south-east, Taita Taveta County to the south, Embu to the north-west, and Tharaka-Nithi and Meru counties to the north. Kitui became the headquarters of

after the adoption of the new constitution and the devolved government.

Overview

The name Kitui means ‘a place where iron goods are made’. The Kamba iron-smiths who settled in the county many years before the colonial period are the ones who named the area Kitui. Kitui had a population of 155,896 in 2009 making it the 12th largest urban centre in Kenya in terms of population. It is the largest urban centre in the county followed by

Mwingi Mwingi is a town in the Kitui County in the Eastern Region of the Republic of Kenya. It has an urban population of 15,970 (2009 census). The town is located along the A3 Road between Nairobi and Garissa, north of its county capital Kitui, and eas ...

. A large majority of the residents belong to the

Kamba Kamba may refer to: *Kamba people The Kamba or Akamba (sometimes called Wakamba) people are a Bantu ethnic group who predominantly live in the area of Kenya stretching from Nairobi to Tsavo and north to Embu, in the southern part of the f ...

, a

Bantu Bantu may refer to: *Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages *Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language * Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle *Black Association for National ...

people. The Kamba of Kenya speak the Bantu

Kamba language Kamba, or Kikamba, is a Bantu language spoken by millions of Kamba people, primarily in Kenya, as well as thousands of people in Uganda, Tanzania, and elsewhere. In Kenya, Kamba is generally spoken in four counties: Machakos, Kitui, Makueni, ...

(Kikamba) as a mother tongue. Kitui is also inhabited by several other Kenyan communities like the

Luo Luo may refer to: Luo peoples and languages *Luo peoples, an ethno-linguistic group of eastern and central Africa **Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania or Joluo, an ethnic group in western Kenya, eastern Uganda, and northern Tanzania. *** Luoland, th ...

, Somali, Kikuyu and people from the Coast Region. Kitui is widely known in Kenya for producing a majority of the country's top legal minds. These include former Chief Justices

Kitili Maluki Mwendwa Kitili Maluki Mwendwa is a former Chief Justice of Kenya. He served between 1968–1971 and was succeeded by Sir James Wicks. Mwendwa, who was from Kitui, was the first African to become Chief Justice of Kenya. His brother, Ngala Mwendwa, served ...

(1968–1971) and Dr.

Willy Mutunga Willy Munyoki Mutunga (born 16 June 1946) is a Kenyan lawyer, intellectual, reform activist, and was the Commonwealth Special Envoy to the Maldives. He is also an active member of thJustice Leadership Group He is the retired Chief Justice of Ke ...

(2011–2016),

State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...

(SUNY) Distinguished Professor Makau W. Mutua, and former Law Society of Kenya Chairman, Eric Mutua. Kitui is also widely known in Kenya for its powerful traditional doctors and is therefore a key destination for those seeking these services.

Education

The major secondary schools around Kitui town are

Kitui School Kitui High School is a boys boarding secondary school in Kitui County and the only national boys secondary school in the county. It has a population of 1,200 students. It is located about 2 kilometers from Kitui town along the Kitui-Mbusyani road. ...

, St. Charles Lwanga High School, Mulango Girls' High School, St. Angela's High School, St. Ursula Tungutu Girls Secondary School, Chuluni Girls' Secondary School, Matinyani Secondary School and St. Aquinas Kalawa Boys' Secondary School. The major public primary schools in Kitui town include Central Primary School, Muslim Primary School, Manyenyoni primary school, Kaveta Primary School, Kalawa Primary School, Ngiini Primary School, Kwa Ngindu Primary School among others. There are also several private schools in the Kitui town.

Higher education

Kitui County is home to several Universities and Colleges.
South Eastern Kenya University
(SEKU) – The University is a fully fledged University and is the successor to the South Eastern University College (SEUCO) which was a Constituent College of the University of Nairobi.The University is a premier institution of higher learning in the region offering various certificate, diploma and degree programmes. SEKU envisions becoming a World Class University with quality teaching, creative learning, innovative research and strong community outreach.
Kenya Medical Training College
(KMTC)
Kenyatta University Kitui Campus

References

External links

visitkitui.com
*Information site created by volunteers working and living in Kitui, summer 2011 – "Help to Self-help in Africa
selvhjelpiafrika.org

softkenya.com/town/kitui

kitui.com
{{First and second-level administrative divisions of Kenya Populated places in Kitui County Populated places in Eastern Province (Kenya) County capitals in Kenya