Nkubu is a town in Kenya. It is located on the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya, within Meru County. It falls in one of the most-fertile and best-watered parts of Africa, with tea, coffee and dairy farming as the main economic activities in the area. It is also the lead town in
South Imenti Constituency.
Location
Nkubu is from
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 h ...
on the Nairobi-Embu-Meru road. The town is situated on the southern banks of the river
Thingithu, which has its origins on
Mount Kenya. Transport includes public service minibuses, taxis and
boda boda
Boda bodas are bicycles and motorcycle taxis commonly found in East Africa. While motorcycle taxis like boda bodas are present throughout Africa and beyond, the term ''boda boda'' is specific to East Africa. In Kenya, they are more frequently ca ...
motorbikes. The town is connected to surrounding towns, by tarred roads to
Chuka,
Meru
Meru may refer to:
Geography Kenya
* Meru, Kenya, a city in Meru County, Kenya
** Meru County, created by the merger of
*** Meru Central District
*** Meru North District
*** Meru South District
* Meru National Park, a Kenyan wildlife park
T ...
and
Mikumbune, Kithurine, Kionyo towns to the west and a tarred toad to
Mitunguu town to the east.
Economy
The town is a trade hub with several businesses, and several banks:
Equity Bank, Family Bank, Cooperative bank,
Kenya Commercial Bank
KCB Bank Kenya Limited is a financial services provider headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. It is licensed as a commercial bank, by the Central Bank of Kenya, the national banking regulator. The bank has also been running Agency banking mode ...
and the
Yetu Sacco Bank,
Capital Sacco Bank, Times U Sacco and Bimas. There are two major hospitals, Nkubu Consolata Mission hospital and Kanyakine district hospital, away. The infrastructure developments initiated by the Senator
Kiraitu Murungi
Kiraitu Murungi (born 1 January 1952) is a Commissioner at the Kenya Law Reform Commission and the former governor of Meru County in Kenya. He is a former long-serving member of parliament for South Imenti constituency (1992-2013), former cab ...
has made the place attractive to entrepreneurs and buildings are coming up overnight.
Nkubu is the home of
South Imenti Tea Farmers Sacco, a bank with the tallest building in East and Central Kenya. The building houses the Nkubu campus of
Mount Kenya University.
Educational institutions
Education institutions in the town include
Mount Kenya University, Nkubu High school, St.Pius x Seminary, Nkubu Primary school, Stella Maris mission day and boarding primary school, Winners Academy, Kenrama Educational Centre, Nkubu Youth Polytechnic, Kanyakine Boys' Boarding school and Kaguru Agricultural Training Centre. The town is involved in commercial banana production.
Some of the estates in the town's outskirts include Taita, Kiigene, Kaguru and Muthaiga (Muguru).
See also
Populated places in Eastern Province (Kenya)
{{EasternKE-geo-stub