Meru, Kenya is a town located on the northeast slopes of Mount Kenya, about five miles north of the equator, at approximately 5,000 feet altitude. It is located in an area of mixed forest and clearings, with smaller towns and villages, and rural farms surrounding it.
A Maps showing location of Meru and Black & White picture taken before 1952 original from a personal collection
of Najma Noordin Ebhrahim
Meru is an interesting place in its own right, and easily accessible by paved road, whether from the south around the east side of Mount Kenya, via Embu, or from the northwest around the west and north side of Mount Kenya, via Nanyuki and Timau. (As of February, 2001, the road to Meru via Nanyuki was still fairly rough, so the Embu route is recommended.) For those interested in viewing wildlife and wonderful scenery, Meru is an excellent jumping-offplace for Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves some distance north of Meru, via Isiolo,
and Meru National Park, to the northeast of Meru, via Maua in the Nyambeni Hills.
Meru is a bustling business, agricultural and educational center for the entire northeast of Kenya. It has three or four banks and numerous hotels, markets and transportation terminals. Coffee, tea, timber, cattle and all other manner of products are produced in Meru. In addition to numerous primary, secondary and technical schools, there are teacher training colleges and the recently developed Kenya Methodist University at Meru, known as KEMU