Limuru Kenya

Kenya Mission – Limuru, Kenya

As part of my preparation I did some research about the area we will be staying. Our primary base of operation is Limuru, Kenya. I hope this provides a little context for our adventure. 

Limuru is a town located on the eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley about 30 miles North-West from Nairobi the capital city of Kenya. Limuru residents rely mostly on farming and a shoe factory for employment. Early in the British colonial period (from the 1890s) Europeans settled in the area due to its proximity to Nairobi, the railway, its fertile land and pleasant weather.

Most of the area of Limuru is now what was previously known as the "white highlands", a rich agricultural land just south (115 mi.) of the equator. The term "white highlands" derived from the British and other Europeans who realized the productive potential of this area and settled in large numbers with the support of the colonial government, establishing coffee and tea plantations, cereal farms and ranches. Altitude of the town is about 7500 ft. Limuru has a temperature of 10 - 28 °C (75 °F) year round. The population of Limuru was estimated in 2010 to be 6,300. 

The native language of most people in Limuru is Kikuyu, with Swahili and English widely spoken.

Limuru is widely known in Kenya for the large amounts of tea it produces.

The tea plantations established around Limuru from 1903 onward were the foundation of Kenya's largest export industry, which produces some of the world's highest quality tea. Limuru is home to BATA shoe company. 

Keith