Kitui is a town in Kenya, 180 kilometres east of Nairobi and 105 kilometres east of Machakos. it covers an area approximately 30,496.4 km sqaures and lies between latitudes 0°10 South and 3°0 South and longitudes 37°50 East and 39°0 East. It borders seven counties i.e Machakos and Makueni counties to the west, Tana River County to the east and south-east, Taita Taveta County to the south, Embu to the north-west, and Tharaka-Nithi and Meru counties to the north. Due to political reforms, Kitui is now the headquarters of Kitui County, which covers a larger area than the former Kitui District did. As a consequence, the city has become a natural meeting point for politicians and businessmen therefore, most of the hotels are expanding.
Overview
The name Kitui means ‘a place where iron goods are made’. The Kamba iron-smiths who settled in the county many years before the colonial period are the ones who named the area Kitui. Kitui had a population of 155,896 in 2009 making it the 12th largest urban centre in Kenya in terms of population. It is the largest urban centre in the county followed by Mwingi. A large majority of the residents belong to the Kamba, a Bantu people. The Kamba of Kenya speak the BantuKamba language as a mother tongue. Kitui is also inhabited by several other Kenyan communities like the Luo, Somali, Kikuyu and people from the Coast Region. Kitui is widely known in Kenya for producing a majority of the country's top legal minds. These include former Chief JusticesKitili Maluki Mwendwa and Dr. Willy Mutunga, State University of New York Distinguished Professor Makau W. Mutua, and former Law Society of Kenya Chairman, Eric Mutua. Kitui is also widely known in Kenya for its powerful traditional doctors and is therefore a key destination for those seeking these services. The best-known witch doctor in Ukambani is the late Dr Kilungya Mwinzila, who comes from Mbitini.
Education
The major secondary schools around Kitui town are Kitui School, St. Charles Lwanga High School, Mulango Girls' High School, St. Angela's High School, St. Ursula Tungutu Girls Secondary School, Chuluni Girls' Secondary School, Matinyani secondary school and St. Aquinas Kalawa Boys' Secondary School. The major public primary schools in Kitui town include Central Primary School,Muslim Primary School, Kaveta primary school, Kalawa primary school, Ngiini primary school, Kwa ngindu primary school among others. There are also several private schools in the Kitui town.
