Central Province (Kenya)

Central Province Mkoa wa Kati
Former Province
Location in Kenya
Coordinates: 0°45′S 37°0′E / 0.750°S 37.000°E / -0.750; 37.000
Country	Kenya
No. of Counties:	5
Capital	Nyeri
Area
• Total	13,199 km2 (5,096 sq mi)
Population  (2009)
• Total	4,383,743
• Density	330/km2 (860/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)

The Central Province (Swahili: Kati, Gikuyu: Gichigo gia Gatagati) was a region in central Kenya until 2013, when Kenya's provinces were replaced by a system of counties. It covered an area of 11,449 km² (4,420 sq mi) and was located to the north of Nairobi and west of Mount Kenya (see maps). The province had 4,383,743^[1] inhabitants according to the 2009 census. The provincial headquarters was Nyeri.

Central Province was the ancestral home of the Gikuyu people.^[2]

The climate of Central Province is generally cooler than that of the rest of Kenya, due to the region's higher altitude. Rainfall is fairly reliable, falling in two seasons, one from early March to May (the long rains) and a second during October and November (the short rains).

Central Province is a key producer of coffee, one of Kenya's key exports. Much of Kenya's dairy industry is also based in this province. The provincial headquarters were in Nyeri. Central Province was divided into seven districts (wilaya'at) until 2007:^[3]

Several new districts (declared sub-counties in 2013) were created in 2007:^[3]

The province is inhabited by the Kikuyu speaking community almost exclusively.^[4][5] They are part of the Kenya Eastern Bantus.

During Kenya's colonization by the British, much of the province was regarded as part of the 'White Highlands', for the exclusive use of the European community. Therefore, it saw political activity from the local communities who felt that they had an ancestral right to the land. This tension culminated in the 1950s with the Mau Mau rebellion; which saw the region placed under a state of emergency and the arrest of many prominent political leaders.

Gitugi