Limuru Town Kenya Guide
Limuru is a town located about 30 miles from Nairobi and is in central Kenya. Limuru town is in Kiambu County. It is mostly known For the Bata shoe factory but mostly the people of Limuru are mostly farmers.
Limuru Town Climate and Geography
Limuru’s climate is classified as warm and temperate. There is a great deal of rainfall in Limuru, even in the driest month. This climate is considered to be Cfb according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. The temperature here has averages of 15.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1263 mm.
The least amount of rainfall occurs in July. The average in this month is 27 mm. The greatest amount of precipitation occurs in April, with an average of 294 mm.
Altitude of the town is about 3000 meters above the sea level. The town has an average temperature of approximately 28 degrees celcius (75 °F) all year round.
Limuru Town History
The native language of most people in Limuru is Kikuyu, with Swahili and English widely spoken. Limuru serves as the capital of Kiambu West District which was formerly part of Kiambu District. In addition, it is also the name of a parliament constituency.
Most of the area of Limuru is now what was previously known as the “white highlands”, a rich agricultural land just south of the equator. The term “white highlands” derived from the British and other Europeans who realised 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 2,500 meters. Limuru has a temperature of 10 – 28 °C (75 °F) year round.
Economic Activities in Limuru Town
Tea and horticulture farming is very prominent in the area. 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 of the equator. The term “white highlands” derived from the British and other Europeans who realised 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.
The native language of most people in Limuru is Kikuyu, with Swahili and English widely spoken.
Limuru Industry
Limuru is widely known in Kenya for the large amounts of tea it produces.
The tea plantations established around Limuru from 1903 onwards 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, the largest shoe factory in East and Central Africa. In recent years, more companies have set foot in the town including Procter and Allan and Fruit ‘n’ Juice.
Limuru has a railway station on the Uganda Railway.
Also in Limuru is the Nest Children’s Home, which specializes in the care of children of imprisoned mothers.
The town of Limuru grew with the railway, the tea industry (especially with major expansion from the 1920s), and the Bata shoe factory and head office.
Developments in Limuru
Due to its proximity to Nairobi and its location on the main highway linking Nairobi to other towns like Naivasha, Eldoret and Kisumu, Limuru is beginning to attract investors and businesses. In July 2014, developers of a new 120,000 square feet (11,000 m2) shopping mall broke ground. This will be the first mall in the town.
Tuskys, the number two supermarket chain in Kenya, by sales, will be the anchor tenant, taking up about 50% of the lettable space. The development is expected to cost KSh650 million (approx. US$7.5 million) to construct, and is expected to be ready during the second half of 2015.
The number three supermarket chain in the country, Uchumi together with Society Stores have opened new stores in Limuru during the year 2016 & 2017 respectively. The new supermarkets will join others such as Cleanshelf, the then major supermarket in the town, as at January 2015.
Places to Visit and Things To Do While in Limuru Town
Kiambethu Farm
Limuru Country Club
Visited Limuru Country Club which is a beautiful Golf Course and has got entertainment for family like swimming, horse ridding and Grass Bowling.
Kawamwaki Farm
Kawamwaki Farm is in a beautiful rural area north of Nairobi, close enough for half-day or day trip.
Red Hill Art Gallery
Red Hill Art Gallery is a gallery of Modern and Contemporary African Art located in Limuru, Nairobi.
Brown’s Cheese Factory & Farm
How to get Limuru town
Being an urban centre, Limuru town has quite a good and well maintained road network. Most of the roads in this town are tarmacked hence the most convenient way to move from one place to another within the town is through ‘Matatus’, motorcycles or bicycles.
Accommodation and Hotels in Limuru Town
- The Heron Portico
- Panari Hotel
- Nairobi Serena Hotel
- Sarova Panafric
- Fairmont The Norfolk
- Ngong Hills Hotel
- The Zehneria Portico Nairobi
- Villa Rosa Kempinski
- Palacina The Residence & The Suites
- The Boma Nairobi
- Eastland Hotel
- Hemingways Nairobi
- Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club
- Fairview Hotel
- The Monarch Hotel
Education Institutions in Limuru Town
- St. Pauls University
- Limuru College For Early Childhood
- Palm Commercial College
- Kiambusi College
- Liit College
- Insight College Computer Training & Services
- Imbugus College Of Hairdressing
- East Africa School Of Journalism
- Commission for Higher Education
- St.pauls Computer Lab
