Meru or Embu?

Mjuaji · May 11, 2021, 7:45pm

grandpa:

Weather

Temperature is fairly similar. Embu is marginally hotter than Meru at 27.9 vs Meru’s 26.9 yearly average.

Meru enjoys more rainfall at 1,602mm of precipitation vs 893mm in Embu.

Crime

Embu ranks much better in crime compare to Meru.

For perspective, Meru shares similar crime stats with Kiambu.

Meru ranks no. 3 on a 2018 crime index report behind Lamu and Kiambu. This compares the rate of crime per 100k of population. Lamu County had the highest crime index of 427 followed by Kiambu 472, Meru 419 Kirinyaga 409, and Isiolo 358.

Now if we drill down by crime type. Kiambu had 142 homicides vs 139 homicides in Meru, 368 robberies vs 128 robberies in Meru.

Meru only ranks above Kiambu in 3 crime categories out of the 17 total categories. These are stealing, 1121(K) vs 1260(M), Criminal Damage, and other offenses against persons. The latter mostly comprises of family feuds and land.

Food.

Meru has a wider variety of food. In fact, it may be the most agriculturally diverse county in the entire Republic.

Meru is only behind Nakuru and Elgeyo Marakwet by gross GDP output from agriculture. It does enjoy wider diversification than Elgeyo Marakwet though

Not sure how it fares cost-wise though but costs should be fairly similar.

Living Expenses

Meru is more expensive than Embu. But much cheaper than Nairobi.

Rental Costs in the best rental(3 bedroom) you can get will be Kshs 25,000. This will get you a solid bungalow in some areas.

Land Speculation & Real Estate

Meru is one of the most populated counties in Kenya. Ranking at no. 6 out of 47 with a population of 1.5m people. It has a lot more formal workforce since it hosts 3 universities compared to only one in Embu.

If you are looking to settle down, the Runda equivalent of Meru will cost you Kshs 10M per acre. You can also get land at about 1m per acre but at least 20kms from Meru town.

Traffic

Embu faires much better than Meru here. Much cleaner too.

Meru has super bad traffic due to the rapid expansion of the town and poor urban planning. While being served by one major road coupled with unruly taxi drivers.

There is construction of a major bypass but the verdict is out on whether it will reduce traffic in the long term.

Economic Activity

Meru has a larger market size and enjoys a higher GDP per capita. Anything you can sell in Nairobi, people in Meru will generally be able to afford.
To provide perspective, Meru town has almost all bank branches you may want to use. KCB, Cooperative, Consolidated, Absa, Standard Chartered, NCBA, Stanbic, I&M, Sidian.
Embu economic activity can be compared to a much smaller town in Meru county called Chuka. This is the most rapidly growing town in Meru county and is located 65kms away from Meru.

Meru may be a much better place for investment since it is more cosmopolitan. It is more welcoming to non-GEMA compared to Embu and enjoys quite a high population of other tribes. Mostly Kikuyu, Somali, Luo, and Indians.

If you are looking for typical investments that Kenyans make, settle in Meru. By typical investments, I mean agriculture, land speculation, and rental property development.

Entertainment.

Parks
Meru. Outdoor family-friendly spots in Meru include Meru National Park, Mt. Kenya National Park, Ngare Ndare, and Lewa Conservancy.
Meru enjoys proximity to Nanyuki(only 60kms away) which you can do out-of-town getaways to.

Hotels, Bars and Clubs
Meru has more of these.

Drugs & Prostitution
Meru has more of this. The predominant hard drug is weed.

Meru has more prostitution since it is obviously a larger town. However, HIV prevalence in Meru is (2.9%) lower than the national prevalence of 5.9% (Kenya HIV Estimates 2015).

Embu does enjoy closer proximity to Nairobi though.

Healthcare Access

You will find a lot of Nairobi private hospitals in Meru e.g. Karen Hospital, Aga Khan, Bliss, etc.

It also has a ton of dispensaries ran mostly by Catholic and Methodist churches. These are more popular. Examples include St. Theresa Kiirua

Education

You probably have a young family or looking to start one soon.
Meru is a clear winner here.

Primary Schools: Has 3 schools that are consistently in the top 10 schools in KCPE e.g. Fred’s Academy

Church schools are also very popular and affordable.

Career Progression

Embu was the provincial HQ for Eastern Province but this has been redundant since transitioning to county governance.

Meru has branches of most typical Kenyan conglomerates from banking, insurance, healthcare, etc.

One of the most complete answers I’ve ever seen on this site.

hackney · May 12, 2021, 7:48am

grandpa:

Weather

Temperature is fairly similar. Embu is marginally hotter than Meru at 27.9 vs Meru’s 26.9 yearly average.

Meru enjoys more rainfall at 1,602mm of precipitation vs 893mm in Embu.

Crime

Embu ranks much better in crime compare to Meru.

For perspective, Meru shares similar crime stats with Kiambu.

Meru ranks no. 3 on a 2018 crime index report behind Lamu and Kiambu. This compares the rate of crime per 100k of population. Lamu County had the highest crime index of 427 followed by Kiambu 472, Meru 419 Kirinyaga 409, and Isiolo 358.

Now if we drill down by crime type. Kiambu had 142 homicides vs 139 homicides in Meru, 368 robberies vs 128 robberies in Meru.

Meru only ranks above Kiambu in 3 crime categories out of the 17 total categories. These are stealing, 1121(K) vs 1260(M), Criminal Damage, and other offenses against persons. The latter mostly comprises of family feuds and land.

Food.

Meru has a wider variety of food. In fact, it may be the most agriculturally diverse county in the entire Republic.

Meru is only behind Nakuru and Elgeyo Marakwet by gross GDP output from agriculture. It does enjoy wider diversification than Elgeyo Marakwet though

Not sure how it fares cost-wise though but costs should be fairly similar.

Living Expenses

Meru is more expensive than Embu. But much cheaper than Nairobi.

Rental Costs in the best rental(3 bedroom) you can get will be Kshs 25,000. This will get you a solid bungalow in some areas.

Land Speculation & Real Estate

Meru is one of the most populated counties in Kenya. Ranking at no. 6 out of 47 with a population of 1.5m people. It has a lot more formal workforce since it hosts 3 universities compared to only one in Embu.

If you are looking to settle down, the Runda equivalent of Meru will cost you Kshs 10M per acre. You can also get land at about 1m per acre but at least 20kms from Meru town.

Traffic

Embu faires much better than Meru here. Much cleaner too.

Meru has super bad traffic due to the rapid expansion of the town and poor urban planning. While being served by one major road coupled with unruly taxi drivers.

There is construction of a major bypass but the verdict is out on whether it will reduce traffic in the long term.

Economic Activity

Meru has a larger market size and enjoys a higher GDP per capita. Anything you can sell in Nairobi, people in Meru will generally be able to afford.
To provide perspective, Meru town has almost all bank branches you may want to use. KCB, Cooperative, Consolidated, Absa, Standard Chartered, NCBA, Stanbic, I&M, Sidian.
Embu economic activity can be compared to a much smaller town in Meru county called Chuka. This is the most rapidly growing town in Meru county and is located 65kms away from Meru.

Meru may be a much better place for investment since it is more cosmopolitan. It is more welcoming to non-GEMA compared to Embu and enjoys quite a high population of other tribes. Mostly Kikuyu, Somali, Luo, and Indians.

If you are looking for typical investments that Kenyans make, settle in Meru. By typical investments, I mean agriculture, land speculation, and rental property development.

Entertainment.

Parks
Meru. Outdoor family-friendly spots in Meru include Meru National Park, Mt. Kenya National Park, Ngare Ndare, and Lewa Conservancy.
Meru enjoys proximity to Nanyuki(only 60kms away) which you can do out-of-town getaways to.

Hotels, Bars and Clubs
Meru has more of these.

Drugs & Prostitution
Meru has more of this. The predominant hard drug is weed.

Meru has more prostitution since it is obviously a larger town. However, HIV prevalence in Meru is (2.9%) lower than the national prevalence of 5.9% (Kenya HIV Estimates 2015).

Embu does enjoy closer proximity to Nairobi though.

Healthcare Access

You will find a lot of Nairobi private hospitals in Meru e.g. Karen Hospital, Aga Khan, Bliss, etc.

It also has a ton of dispensaries ran mostly by Catholic and Methodist churches. These are more popular. Examples include St. Theresa Kiirua

Education

You probably have a young family or looking to start one soon.
Meru is a clear winner here.

Primary Schools: Has 3 schools that are consistently in the top 10 schools in KCPE e.g. Fred’s Academy

Church schools are also very popular and affordable.

Career Progression

Embu was the provincial HQ for Eastern Province but this has been redundant since transitioning to county governance.

Meru has branches of most typical Kenyan conglomerates from banking, insurance, healthcare, etc.

Very detailed and correct analysis on all your points. A few corrections though. Chuka town is in Tharaka Nithi county not Meru county though obviously they are the same people. Another point, Meru county has a lower GDP per capita than Embu county. However Meru has a bigger total GDP, a bigger population and size.

eddy_mahelo · May 12, 2021, 8:03am

These places are similar in weather, economy, geography, but ethnically you will be more comfortable in Embu if you are a shiny eye, the language is 95% similar.
it’s also easier to settle in Embu, many shiny eyes wamekuja na kujenga huko mashinani Embu… I find Embus more welcoming of all people around Mt Kenya region, the place is not so metropolitan but they will not discriminate you, even if you start a business they will gladly buy your services and goods, they will invite you to social events and treat you as one of their own.

Embu is also nearer Nairobi in case you have shughulis huko.

Shamsudin · May 12, 2021, 11:09am

Very true - peace and opportunities are inversely proportional, case in example Nairobi.

Thirimaii · May 12, 2021, 11:17am

Umetoka Nakuru upande gani?

Shamsudin · May 12, 2021, 11:22am

Constituency ya ile ngombe inaitwa Kimani - very useless fella.

Thirimaii · May 12, 2021, 11:23am

We share the same constituency…Mimi ni wa hapo Kamfarm

Shamsudin · May 12, 2021, 11:28am

Nice, makosa yako ni gayness

Thirimaii · May 12, 2021, 11:30am

That my tag in ktalk,never seen one let alone becoming one.Am church member PCEA Tabuga

magazine · May 12, 2021, 12:39pm

grandpa:

Weather

Temperature is fairly similar. Embu is marginally hotter than Meru at 27.9 vs Meru’s 26.9 yearly average.

Meru enjoys more rainfall at 1,602mm of precipitation vs 893mm in Embu.

Crime

Embu ranks much better in crime compare to Meru.

For perspective, Meru shares similar crime stats with Kiambu.

Meru ranks no. 3 on a 2018 crime index report behind Lamu and Kiambu. This compares the rate of crime per 100k of population. Lamu County had the highest crime index of 427 followed by Kiambu 472, Meru 419 Kirinyaga 409, and Isiolo 358.

Now if we drill down by crime type. Kiambu had 142 homicides vs 139 homicides in Meru, 368 robberies vs 128 robberies in Meru.

Meru only ranks above Kiambu in 3 crime categories out of the 17 total categories. These are stealing, 1121(K) vs 1260(M), Criminal Damage, and other offenses against persons. The latter mostly comprises of family feuds and land.

Food.

Meru has a wider variety of food. In fact, it may be the most agriculturally diverse county in the entire Republic.

Meru is only behind Nakuru and Elgeyo Marakwet by gross GDP output from agriculture. It does enjoy wider diversification than Elgeyo Marakwet though

Not sure how it fares cost-wise though but costs should be fairly similar.

Living Expenses

Meru is more expensive than Embu. But much cheaper than Nairobi.

Rental Costs in the best rental(3 bedroom) you can get will be Kshs 25,000. This will get you a solid bungalow in some areas.

Land Speculation & Real Estate

Meru is one of the most populated counties in Kenya. Ranking at no. 6 out of 47 with a population of 1.5m people. It has a lot more formal workforce since it hosts 3 universities compared to only one in Embu.

If you are looking to settle down, the Runda equivalent of Meru will cost you Kshs 10M per acre. You can also get land at about 1m per acre but at least 20kms from Meru town.

Traffic

Embu faires much better than Meru here. Much cleaner too.

Meru has super bad traffic due to the rapid expansion of the town and poor urban planning. While being served by one major road coupled with unruly taxi drivers.

There is construction of a major bypass but the verdict is out on whether it will reduce traffic in the long term.

Economic Activity

Meru has a larger market size and enjoys a higher GDP per capita. Anything you can sell in Nairobi, people in Meru will generally be able to afford.
To provide perspective, Meru town has almost all bank branches you may want to use. KCB, Cooperative, Consolidated, Absa, Standard Chartered, NCBA, Stanbic, I&M, Sidian.
Embu economic activity can be compared to a much smaller town in Meru county called Chuka. This is the most rapidly growing town in Meru county and is located 65kms away from Meru.

Meru may be a much better place for investment since it is more cosmopolitan. It is more welcoming to non-GEMA compared to Embu and enjoys quite a high population of other tribes. Mostly Kikuyu, Somali, Luo, and Indians.

If you are looking for typical investments that Kenyans make, settle in Meru. By typical investments, I mean agriculture, land speculation, and rental property development.

Entertainment.

Parks
Meru. Outdoor family-friendly spots in Meru include Meru National Park, Mt. Kenya National Park, Ngare Ndare, and Lewa Conservancy.
Meru enjoys proximity to Nanyuki(only 60kms away) which you can do out-of-town getaways to.

Hotels, Bars and Clubs
Meru has more of these.

Drugs & Prostitution
Meru has more of this. The predominant hard drug is weed.

Meru has more prostitution since it is obviously a larger town. However, HIV prevalence in Meru is (2.9%) lower than the national prevalence of 5.9% (Kenya HIV Estimates 2015).

Embu does enjoy closer proximity to Nairobi though.

Healthcare Access

You will find a lot of Nairobi private hospitals in Meru e.g. Karen Hospital, Aga Khan, Bliss, etc.

It also has a ton of dispensaries ran mostly by Catholic and Methodist churches. These are more popular. Examples include St. Theresa Kiirua

Education

You probably have a young family or looking to start one soon.
Meru is a clear winner here.

Primary Schools: Has 3 schools that are consistently in the top 10 schools in KCPE e.g. Fred’s Academy

Church schools are also very popular and affordable.

Career Progression

Embu was the provincial HQ for Eastern Province but this has been redundant since transitioning to county governance.

Meru has branches of most typical Kenyan conglomerates from banking, insurance, healthcare, etc.

well put , have worked in both towns, very nice places.

General_kahiu_Itina · May 12, 2021, 3:16pm

grandpa:

Weather

Temperature is fairly similar. Embu is marginally hotter than Meru at 27.9 vs Meru’s 26.9 yearly average.

Meru enjoys more rainfall at 1,602mm of precipitation vs 893mm in Embu.

Crime

Embu ranks much better in crime compare to Meru.

For perspective, Meru shares similar crime stats with Kiambu.

Meru ranks no. 3 on a 2018 crime index report behind Lamu and Kiambu. This compares the rate of crime per 100k of population. Lamu County had the highest crime index of 427 followed by Kiambu 472, Meru 419 Kirinyaga 409, and Isiolo 358.

Now if we drill down by crime type. Kiambu had 142 homicides vs 139 homicides in Meru, 368 robberies vs 128 robberies in Meru.

Meru only ranks above Kiambu in 3 crime categories out of the 17 total categories. These are stealing, 1121(K) vs 1260(M), Criminal Damage, and other offenses against persons. The latter mostly comprises of family feuds and land.

Food.

Meru has a wider variety of food. In fact, it may be the most agriculturally diverse county in the entire Republic.

Meru is only behind Nakuru and Elgeyo Marakwet by gross GDP output from agriculture. It does enjoy wider diversification than Elgeyo Marakwet though

Not sure how it fares cost-wise though but costs should be fairly similar.

Living Expenses

Meru is more expensive than Embu. But much cheaper than Nairobi.

Rental Costs in the best rental(3 bedroom) you can get will be Kshs 25,000. This will get you a solid bungalow in some areas.

Land Speculation & Real Estate

Meru is one of the most populated counties in Kenya. Ranking at no. 6 out of 47 with a population of 1.5m people. It has a lot more formal workforce since it hosts 3 universities compared to only one in Embu.

If you are looking to settle down, the Runda equivalent of Meru will cost you Kshs 10M per acre. You can also get land at about 1m per acre but at least 20kms from Meru town.

Traffic

Embu faires much better than Meru here. Much cleaner too.

Meru has super bad traffic due to the rapid expansion of the town and poor urban planning. While being served by one major road coupled with unruly taxi drivers.

There is construction of a major bypass but the verdict is out on whether it will reduce traffic in the long term.

Economic Activity

Meru has a larger market size and enjoys a higher GDP per capita. Anything you can sell in Nairobi, people in Meru will generally be able to afford.
To provide perspective, Meru town has almost all bank branches you may want to use. KCB, Cooperative, Consolidated, Absa, Standard Chartered, NCBA, Stanbic, I&M, Sidian.
Embu economic activity can be compared to a much smaller town in Meru county called Chuka. This is the most rapidly growing town in Meru county and is located 65kms away from Meru.

Meru may be a much better place for investment since it is more cosmopolitan. It is more welcoming to non-GEMA compared to Embu and enjoys quite a high population of other tribes. Mostly Kikuyu, Somali, Luo, and Indians.

If you are looking for typical investments that Kenyans make, settle in Meru. By typical investments, I mean agriculture, land speculation, and rental property development.

Entertainment.

Parks
Meru. Outdoor family-friendly spots in Meru include Meru National Park, Mt. Kenya National Park, Ngare Ndare, and Lewa Conservancy.
Meru enjoys proximity to Nanyuki(only 60kms away) which you can do out-of-town getaways to.

Hotels, Bars and Clubs
Meru has more of these.

Drugs & Prostitution
Meru has more of this. The predominant hard drug is weed.

Meru has more prostitution since it is obviously a larger town. However, HIV prevalence in Meru is (2.9%) lower than the national prevalence of 5.9% (Kenya HIV Estimates 2015).

Embu does enjoy closer proximity to Nairobi though.

Healthcare Access

You will find a lot of Nairobi private hospitals in Meru e.g. Karen Hospital, Aga Khan, Bliss, etc.

It also has a ton of dispensaries ran mostly by Catholic and Methodist churches. These are more popular. Examples include St. Theresa Kiirua

Education

You probably have a young family or looking to start one soon.
Meru is a clear winner here.

Primary Schools: Has 3 schools that are consistently in the top 10 schools in KCPE e.g. Fred’s Academy

Church schools are also very popular and affordable.

Career Progression

Embu was the provincial HQ for Eastern Province but this has been redundant since transitioning to county governance.

Meru has branches of most typical Kenyan conglomerates from banking, insurance, healthcare, etc.

Embu town is at border with Kirinyaga at the bridge. It also serves many parts of Kirinyaga. It a a connection town. From Ukambani, meru and central. But you can’t compare it with Chuka. The only thing at Chuka is market and university. But I believe meru is bigger enomically.

General_kahiu_Itina · May 12, 2021, 3:23pm

Embu is a connection town between Ukambani, central and meru. It also does well economically as Naivas and Magunas supermarkets started there. But Meru and Nanyuki does well because they are tourist towns. They have international facilities. I have never been to meru but I believe it’s better. But most Kenyan towns are similar. For me I don’t find difference between Nyeri, karatina and embu.

tall_mnyama_everywhe · May 13, 2021, 6:37am

As a certified Merian I will tell you Meru is a good place to stay but then be wary of crime. Ni kama tu Nairobi. and ooh our women are beautiful too but be wary the can be hot tempered

eddy_mahelo · May 13, 2021, 7:46am

kumbe wewe ni mkulima ya “kangeta” muthaka…

when we were growing up , we were told the biggest insult you can call a merian is “Mwichi” , does it still hold ?

Oxygen · May 13, 2021, 7:56am

grandpa:

Weather

Temperature is fairly similar. Embu is marginally hotter than Meru at 27.9 vs Meru’s 26.9 yearly average.

Meru enjoys more rainfall at 1,602mm of precipitation vs 893mm in Embu.

Crime

Embu ranks much better in crime compare to Meru.

For perspective, Meru shares similar crime stats with Kiambu.

Meru ranks no. 3 on a 2018 crime index report behind Lamu and Kiambu. This compares the rate of crime per 100k of population. Lamu County had the highest crime index of 427 followed by Kiambu 472, Meru 419 Kirinyaga 409, and Isiolo 358.

Now if we drill down by crime type. Kiambu had 142 homicides vs 139 homicides in Meru, 368 robberies vs 128 robberies in Meru.

Meru only ranks above Kiambu in 3 crime categories out of the 17 total categories. These are stealing, 1121(K) vs 1260(M), Criminal Damage, and other offenses against persons. The latter mostly comprises of family feuds and land.

Food.

Meru has a wider variety of food. In fact, it may be the most agriculturally diverse county in the entire Republic.

Meru is only behind Nakuru and Elgeyo Marakwet by gross GDP output from agriculture. It does enjoy wider diversification than Elgeyo Marakwet though

Not sure how it fares cost-wise though but costs should be fairly similar.

Living Expenses

Meru is more expensive than Embu. But much cheaper than Nairobi.

Rental Costs in the best rental(3 bedroom) you can get will be Kshs 25,000. This will get you a solid bungalow in some areas.

Land Speculation & Real Estate

Meru is one of the most populated counties in Kenya. Ranking at no. 6 out of 47 with a population of 1.5m people. It has a lot more formal workforce since it hosts 3 universities compared to only one in Embu.

If you are looking to settle down, the Runda equivalent of Meru will cost you Kshs 10M per acre. You can also get land at about 1m per acre but at least 20kms from Meru town.

Traffic

Embu faires much better than Meru here. Much cleaner too.

Meru has super bad traffic due to the rapid expansion of the town and poor urban planning. While being served by one major road coupled with unruly taxi drivers.

There is construction of a major bypass but the verdict is out on whether it will reduce traffic in the long term.

Economic Activity

Meru has a larger market size and enjoys a higher GDP per capita. Anything you can sell in Nairobi, people in Meru will generally be able to afford.
To provide perspective, Meru town has almost all bank branches you may want to use. KCB, Cooperative, Consolidated, Absa, Standard Chartered, NCBA, Stanbic, I&M, Sidian.
Embu economic activity can be compared to a much smaller town in Meru county called Chuka. This is the most rapidly growing town in Meru county and is located 65kms away from Meru.

Meru may be a much better place for investment since it is more cosmopolitan. It is more welcoming to non-GEMA compared to Embu and enjoys quite a high population of other tribes. Mostly Kikuyu, Somali, Luo, and Indians.

If you are looking for typical investments that Kenyans make, settle in Meru. By typical investments, I mean agriculture, land speculation, and rental property development.

Entertainment.

Parks
Meru. Outdoor family-friendly spots in Meru include Meru National Park, Mt. Kenya National Park, Ngare Ndare, and Lewa Conservancy.
Meru enjoys proximity to Nanyuki(only 60kms away) which you can do out-of-town getaways to.

Hotels, Bars and Clubs
Meru has more of these.

Drugs & Prostitution
Meru has more of this. The predominant hard drug is weed.

Meru has more prostitution since it is obviously a larger town. However, HIV prevalence in Meru is (2.9%) lower than the national prevalence of 5.9% (Kenya HIV Estimates 2015).

Embu does enjoy closer proximity to Nairobi though.

Healthcare Access

You will find a lot of Nairobi private hospitals in Meru e.g. Karen Hospital, Aga Khan, Bliss, etc.

It also has a ton of dispensaries ran mostly by Catholic and Methodist churches. These are more popular. Examples include St. Theresa Kiirua

Education

You probably have a young family or looking to start one soon.
Meru is a clear winner here.

Primary Schools: Has 3 schools that are consistently in the top 10 schools in KCPE e.g. Fred’s Academy

Church schools are also very popular and affordable.

Career Progression

Embu was the provincial HQ for Eastern Province but this has been redundant since transitioning to county governance.

Meru has branches of most typical Kenyan conglomerates from banking, insurance, healthcare, etc.

Chuka is not in Meru county but in Tharaka Nithi, and markyou, its not even the county hqs. kathwana is the county hq located along Mate road.
Precious info u av given though

Oxygen · May 13, 2021, 8:00am

I beg to differ:D:D:D, I rise to oppose this Mr speaker Sir!

Thirimaii · May 13, 2021, 9:57am

I now know why i mistook you for liking me…many of my chuka friends are friendly.
You are friendly tooo,do you have the accent?

ChifuMbitika · May 14, 2021, 1:14pm

Kamfarm ni between Danger and Lanet? Hiyo place niliishi around the year 2006. Kulikuwa na ka-pub hapo tulikuwa tunakamata keg

Thirimaii · May 14, 2021, 1:35pm

Noko kona ama.kuu nikuo mucii unawoona jagiite mitugo uguo

Susskid · May 18, 2021, 11:38am

Kuja Meru Murume