Tharaka Nithi County | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location of Tharaka-Nithi County in Kenya | |
| Coordinates:0°18′S38°0′E / 0.300°S 38.000°E /-0.300; 38.000 | |
| Country |  Kenya |
| Formed | 4 March 2013 |
| Capital | Kathwana |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Muthomi Njuki |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,609 km2 (1,007 sq mi) |
| Population (2019)[1] | |
• Total | 393,177 |
| • Density | 150.7/km2 (390.3/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| Website | www |
Tharaka-Nithi County is one of the 47counties of Kenya located in Kenya located in the easternMount Kenya region. The county has an area of 2609 km2 and as of the 2019 census a population of 393,177.[2] It is home to theMeru people.
Tharaka-Nithi County is home to the Chuka, Muthambi, Mwimbi and Tharaka subgroups of theAmeru community. The people of Tharaka-Nithi County are predominantlyChristian, withCatholics,Presbyterians, andMethodists being the predominant religious communities.
The county consists of threeconstituencies:Maara,Chuka andTharaka.
In 1992,Meru District was broken up into four new districts: Meru Central,Meru North,Meru South and Tharaka. Subsequently, Meru South, also known as Nithi, combined with Tharaka into the Tharaka-Nithi District. In 1998, the Tharaka-Nithi District was split into two districts, Nithi and Tharaka,[3] but a 2009High Court decision declared that split unconstitutional and re-combined the two.[4] Subsequently, under the revisedconstitution of 2010, Tharaka-Nithi became a county.[5]
Like other counties surroundingMount Kenya, the primary economic activity in Tharaka-Nithi County is farming. Crops planted include tea and coffee in the higher areas of the county while sorghum, maize, green grams and millet in the low altitude areas. Dairy farming and fish farming are also practiced in the county.
Religion in Tharaka-Nithi County[6]
| Religion (2019 Census) | Number |
|---|---|
| Catholicism | 108,266 |
| Protestantism | 172,266 |
| Evangelical churches | 70,043 |
| African-instituted churches | 18,749 |
| Orthodoxy | 2,656 |
| OtherChristian | 9.114 |
| Islam | 724 |
| Hinduism | 9 |
| Traditionism | 251 |
| Other | 4,082 |
| No religion oratheism | 4.461 |
| Don't know | 615 |
| Not stated | 67 |
