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Kiambu (Jimbo) Countie - Kenya

Added: Thu 3 Jun 2021 - 15:44 | Updated: Fri 3 Sep 2021 - 08:51 | 271

Kiambu County is one of the 47 counties in the Republic of Kenya. It is located in the central region and covers a total area of 2,543.5 Km2 with 476.3 Km2under forest cover according to the 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census.

Kiambu County borders

Nairobi and Kajiado Counties to the South, Machakos to the East, Murang‘a to the North and North East, Nyandarua to the North West, and Nakuru to the West. The county lies between latitudes 00 25‘ and 10 20‘ South of the Equator and Longitude 360 31‘ and 370 15‘ East.

Physical & Topographic Features

Kiambu County is divided into four broad topographical zones viz, Upper Highland, Lower Highland, Upper Midland and Lower Midland Zone. The Upper Highland Zone is found in Lari Constituency and it is an extension of the Aberdare ranges that lies at an altitude of 1,800-2,550 metres above sea level. It is dominated by highly dissected ranges and it is very wet, steep and important as a water catchment area. The lower highland zone is mostly found in Limuru and some parts of Gatundu North, Gatundu South, Githunguri and Kabete constituencies. The area is characterized by hills, plateaus, and high-elevation plains. The area lies between 1,500-1,800 metres above sea level and is generally a tea and dairy zone though some activities like maize, horticultural crops and sheep farming are also practiced. There are also large plantations of pineapples owned by Del Monte in parts of Thika sub county.

The upper midland zone lies between 1,300-1,500 metres above sea level and it covers mostly parts of Juja and other constituencies with the exception of Lari. The landscape comprises of volcanic middle level uplands. The lower midland zone partly covers Thika Town (Gatuanyaga), Limuru and Kikuyu constituencies. The area lies between 1,200-1,360 metres above sea level. The soils in the midland zone are dissected and are easily eroded. Other physical features include steep slopes and valleys, which are unsuitable for cultivation. Large parts of Lari, Gatundu north and south sub counties are covered by forests.

The county is covered by three broad categories of soils which are: high level upland soils, plateau soils and volcanic footbridges soils. These soils are of varying fertility levels with soils from high-level uplands, which are from volcanic rocks, being very fertile. Their fertility is conducive for livestock keeping and growth of various cash crops and food crops such as tea, coffee, horticultural products, pyrethrum, vegetables, maize, beans, peas and potatoes. These soils are found in the highlands, mostly in Gatundu South, Gatundu North, Githunguri, Kiambu, Kiambaa, Lari, Kikuyu, Kabete and Limuru Constituencies. Low fertility soils are mainly found in the middle zone and the eastern part of the county which form part of the semi-arid areas. The soils are sandy or clay and can support drought resistant crops such as soya beans and sunflower as well as ranching. These soils are mostly found in parts of Juja, Thika Town, Ruiru, Kabete, Limuru, Gatundu North and Gatundu South Constituencies.

Most parts of the county are covered by soils from volcanic footbridges. These are well drained with moderate fertility. They are red to dark brown friable clays, which are suited for cash crops like coffee, tea and pyrethrum. However, parts of Thika Town, Ruiru, Juja and Lari constituencies are covered by shallow soils, which are poorly drained, and these areas are characterized by low rainfall, which severely limits agricultural development, although they are suitable for ranching and growth of drought resistant crops.

Ecological Conditions

Water in the county is from two principal sources- surface and sub-surface. About 90 percent of the county‘s water resource comprises of both surface water resources and round water potential. The county is divided into several sub-catchments areas. The first one is Nairobi River Sub-catchment which occupies the southern part of the county with the major rivers being Nairobi, Gitaru, Gitahuru, Karura, Ruirwaka, and Gatharaini.

The second one is Kamiti and Ruiru Rivers Sub-catchment which is located to the north of the Nairobi river sub-catchment. It has eight permanent rivers which include Riara, Kiu, Kamiti, Makuyu, Ruiru, Bathi, Gatamaiyu and Komothai. The third one is the Aberdare plateau that contributes to the availability of two sub-catchments areas comprising of Thiririka and Ndarugu Rivers. The main streams found in the two areas include Mugutha, Theta, Thiririka, Ruabora, Ndarugu and Komu. They flow from Nairobi, Kamiti, Ruiru, Thiririka, and Ndarugu sub-catchments to form Athi River sub-catchment. The fourth is the Chania River and its tributaries comprising of Thika and Kariminu Rivers which rise from the slopes of Mt. Kinangop in the Aberdares range. Last one is Ewaso Kedong sub catchment which runs in the North-South direction and occupies the western part of the county. It has several streams that normally form swamps.

Climatic Conditions

The county experiences bi-modal type of rainfall. The long rains fall between Mid-March to May followed by a cold season usually with drizzles and frost during June to August and the short rains between Mid-October to November. The annual rainfall varies with altitude, with higher areas receiving as high as 2,000 mm and lower areas of Thika Town constituency receiving as low as 600 mm. The average rainfall received by the county is 1,200 mm.

The mean temperature in the county is 26o C with temperatures ranging from 7oC in the upper highlands areas of Limuru and some parts of Gatundu North, Gatundu South, Githunguri and Kabete constituencies, to 340C in the lower midland zone found partly in Thika Town constituency (Gatuanyaga), Kikuyu, Limuru and Kabete constituencies (Ndeiya and Karai). July and August are the months during which the lowest temperatures are experienced, whereas January to March are the hottest months. The county‘s average relative humidity ranges from 54 percent in the dry months and 300 percent in the wet months of March up to August.