Kitui Town Guide
Kitui Town is a rural town in Kenya, 130 kilometres east of Nairobi and 75 kilometres east of Machakos. It is the capital of the Kitui county in Eastern Province of Kenya. Majority of the people in Kitui are Akambas.
The Akamba people of Kenya speak Kamba language- Kikamba. One of the biggest attractions in Kitui is Nzambani Rock. Folklore has it that a white missionary from the Church Mission Society in England was cornered by Kamba warriors who did not want him talking about Christ. They went round and round the Nzambani rock looking for him to try and kill him. He prayed and then God said, if you are to die, at least wear your religious vestments. The missionary put on his vestments and waited for death. When the warriors caught up with him, he looked like he had turned into a woman because of his clothing- they did not kill him. So folklore goes that if you go round Nzambani rock seven times, you will change gender!
The food in Kitui consist largely of traditional African dishes like Chapati, Ugali, Isyo(well seasoned- mix beans or peas and maize, other sometimes with pumpkin and leafy vegetable added), rice served with goat meat, chicken and cooked vegetable stew are common dishes.
Flavas Restaurant is one of the popular hotels in Kitui town which offers alot of services as far as food is concern. It is one of the oldest Restaurants in Kitui town.From it’s name, Flavas Restaurant offers flavoured food from different flavour, provide the services of cake baking in Kitui town and also offers accommodation services in Kitui town.
The Major towns in Kitui are:
- Mwingi Town
- Mutomo Town
- Kwa Vonza Town
- Mutito Town
- Ikutha Town
- Kabati Town
- Migwani Town
- Mbitini Town
- Kyuso Town
Kitui Town Climate and Geography
Kitui’s climate is classified as tropical. The summers are much rainier than the winters in Kitui. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is Aw. The average annual temperature is 21.4 °C in Kitui. About 1068 mm of precipitation falls annually.
History of Kitui Town
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.
Economic Activities in Kitui Town
Agriculture is the backbone of Kitui County. In the highlands of Kitui, farmers are involved in subsistence agriculture, mainly growing cotton in Kenya, tobacco, sisal, mangoes, maize in Kenya, beans farming in Kenya, cassava, sorghum, millet and pigeon peas. These crops are well adapted to the climatic conditions of Kitui. Crops produced are consumed locally with the surplus being sold to traders from Nairobi and neighbouring towns.
In the lowlands, farmers keep livestock mainly cattle, sheep, goats and chicken as a means to supplement crop farming as their source of income. Tourism is a low-key economic activity with some of the residents building hotels and lodges that serve visitors coming to the main towns for business and leisure, Mwingi National Reserve, South Kitui National Reserve as well as the Tsavo East National Park. These tourist attractions also offer a thriving market for local artefacts such as baskets and soapstone/woodcarvings – another major source of revenue to the people of Kitui.
Tourist Attraction in Kitui Kenya
Here are some of the tourists attractions in Kitui Kenya
1. Tsavo East National Park
Category: Tourist Attraction in Kitui Kenya
Tsavo East, lies to the east of the Nairobi –Mombasa road, equidistant between Nairobi and Mombasa, and offers a vast and untapped arena of arid bush.
For more information visit: Tsavo East National Park
2. South Kitui National Reserve
Category: Tourist Attraction in Kitui Kenya
It was inaugurated in 1979 with an area of 1833km. It comprises of thickets, grasslands and acacia savannah. It is a wildlife dispersal area for Tsavo National Park and is well known for the animals that relocate to and from Tsavo National Park.
For more information visit: South Kitui National Reserve
3. Mwingi National Reserve
Category: Tourist Attraction in Kitui Kenya
The 745sq. km Mwingi National Reserve is one of the four protected and contiguous areas that comprise the 4,400 square km Meru Conservational Area (MCA). The other three are Meru National Park, Bisanadi National Reserve and Kora National Park.
For more information visit: Mwingi National Reserve
Other Tourist Attractions include: Nzambani Rock, Ikoo Valley and Ngomeni Rock Catchment and Conservancy.
Things to do while in Kitui Town
Major Attraction
- Wilderness habitat
- Game viewing
- Adamson’s Falls
- Fishing and boating on Tana River
- Kampi ya Simba: former home of Joy and George Adamson and the grave of Elsa the lioness.
- Wildlife: Caracal, elephant, hippo, leopard, lion and several antelope species
- Game viewing, fishing in River Tana, bird watching and boating.
Things to do while in Kitui Town
Major Attraction
- Wilderness habitat
- game viewing
- Adamson’s Falls
- fishing and boating on Tana River
- Kampi ya Simba: former home of Joy and George Adamson and the grave of Elsa the lioness.
- Wildlife: Caracal, elephant, hippo, leopard, lion and several antelope species
- Game viewing, fishing in River Tana, bird watching, boating.
How To Get Kitui Town
Buses: Mar Mash Poa buses have daily departures to Mombasa. The Kintawa Sacco buses travels to Nairobi non-stop every day. You can find them both at the New Bus Station in Kitui town. The road from Kitui to Nairobi via Thika is among the better roads in Kenya.
Night Clubs and Nightlife in Kitui Town
- Basecorner
- Lusaka Kabati
- Envy Club
- The Fuse Club
- Craft Pub
- Mwongoli Bar
- Chonjo Pub
- Local Bar
- Joskat Bar
Accommodation and Hotels in Kitui Town
Caves Inn
Caves Inn offers accommodation in Kitui. Guests can enjoy the on-site bar. Free private parking is available on site. The rooms have a TV. Each room is equipped with a private bathroom.
Watu Wangu Lodge
Offering a barbecue and sun terrace. Free private parking is available on site. The accommodation is equipped with a seating area.
Education Institutions in Kitui Town
- Kenyatta University -Kitui Campus
- SEUCO Kitui Campus
- Intellects College Kitui
- St Charles Lwanga Catholic Chapel
- Muthale Girls High School
- St Charles Lwanga Secondary School
- Kitui High School
- Mulango Girls High School
- Mbitini Girls High School
- Mutomo Institute of Accountancy Accounts
- Kitui Institute of Development Studies
- Kitui Polytechnic
- Kenya Medical Training College KMTC Kitui Campus
- Kitui Institute of Professionals
- Intellects College
- Kenya Water Institute, KEWI Kitui Campus
- Kitui Teachers Training College
- Kenyatta University -Kitui Campus