Karatina Town Guide
Karatina town is a town in Nyeri County, Central Province, Kenya. It hosts a municipal council and the headquarters of Mathira East district. Karatina municipality has six electoral wards, all falling in the Mathira Constituency. The remaining five wards of Mathira constituency represent Nyeri County Council.
Karatina is on the Nairobi – Nyeri highway, 20 kilometres southeast of Nyeri town and south of Mount Kenya. Karatina is at an elevation of 1868 metres. Karatina is famous for its fresh fruit and vegetable market which operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with Saturdays being the busiest day.
Karatina also boasts a university college that is part of Moi University. the college is located 14 kilometers from the Nairobi-Nyeri highway on the slopes of Mount Kenya. There are two major hospitals in Karatina, the government funded Karatina General Hospital and Jamii Hospital. In addition, PCEA TumuTumu Hospital is a few miles west of Karatina.
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History of Karatina Town
The name Karatina is a diminutive term for Muratina – the name of a squash/courgette tree. The town was founded before the British Colonization of Kenya by Kikuyu tribe women who used to trade their crafts and food under a courgette (muratina) tree. Women would direct each other on where to sell or buy merchandise under the Karatina.
Mathira means harvest for me. Women from the area would be heard in the market sending each other to harvest something from their farms. The British would hear “Mathira (this and that)” and they thought that was the name of the place.
Karatina and the Kenyan Independence Struggle
Like many areas around Mount Kenya, Karatina was a hot-bed of the Mau Mau independence struggle. Many Karatina residents have real-life memories and have passed on the history of the sufferings meted upon the society during the independence struggle. Being close to the Mount Kenya, the Mau Mau fighters would leave the forests and come to find food in the villages created by the colonialists and many residents will vividly tell of the tricks they used to feed the Mau Mau. Most of the elderly men from this locality were in detention during the Mau Mau reprisals as the authorities feared they would rebel.
Dedan Kimathi, the Mau Mau leader, came from Aguthi, less than fifteen miles from Karatina. To best understand the resistance to colonial rule, find out directly from Karatina people. Watch the “End of the Empire” documentary. Read Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain’s Gulag in Kenya,” by Caroline Elkins Regardless, Karatina had its own share of Colonial collaborators. The sons of colonial chiefs were the beneficiaries of the first independence Kenya Government as was so in the rest of the country.
Karatina Town Geography
The town lies on a plateau directly below the southern side of Mount Kenya. It is fed by radially flowing streams running from Mount Kenya towards the lower slopes of the mountain that are marked by the river Tana, the longest river in Kenya. There are many beautiful inter-locking spurs, rapids and caves in the streams in this area. The sky-line is intercepted by hills and steep slopes.
River Tana originates from Mount Kenya and meanders through several districts in Central and Eastern emptying its waters into the Indian Ocean. Its waters have been harnessed for the Kindaruma Hydro-Electricity Power Station downstream. Its waters hosts numerous tropical marine fauna and varied ecosystem ending in a delta at the coast.
You are likely to see some of the most beautiful small scale tea in Kenya, coffee in Kenya, dairy farming in Kenya and horticulture in Kenya farms around Karatina. The area has some of the best view points of Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Ranges.
Accommodation and Hotels in Karatina
- Oldoiyo Lengai Resort & Bistro
- County Inn Ltd
- Ibis Hotel
Other places to Stay near Karatina
- Maru B Court Hotel
- The White Rhino Hotel
- Green HIlls Hotel
- Outspan Hotel
- Aberdare Country Club
- Treetops Lodge
- Maina Highway Hotel
- Jaqanaz Resort
- The Ark
- Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club
- Great North Resort
- Trotters Hotel
- Maxoil Hotel
- Town & Country Guesthouse
- Sixty Two Paradise Hotel
- Ibis Hotel
- Joskaki Hotel
- Blue Posts Hotel
- Maiyan
- Hotel Senate
- Sunrise Comfort Hotel
- Rainbow Ruiru Resort
- Overstone Park Hotel
- Burguret Kilele Guest House and Restaurant
- Sun Guest House
- Gitandara Gardens Hotel
- Senior Chief Wambugu Palace
Places To Visit and Things To Do While in Karatina Town
Tourist areas of interest in Karatina
Nyeri Town and the cemetery of Scout movement; the Tree Tops and Arks Game Viewing are all less than half an hour to the west of Karatina. Mount Kenya Safari Club is less than fifty miles from Karatina. Karatina is only one and half hours away from Nairobi City.
Karatina Town Culture
Basically, a farming community with one of the most educated population across the gender population in the country. It has generally some of the stable well established community built primary and Secondary schools. Tumu Tumu and Bishop Gatimu Girls Schools that are well reputed in the country. All Boys High Schools including the most reputed were all community developed through the Harambee movement. Harambee means pull-together resources.
PCEA and Catholicism Christianity are the religious faiths but it is also the home of a very strong African Independent Church. Anticoch Independent Baptist Churches also have a great presence with their Headquarters in Karatina.
Languages spoken are predominantly Kikuyu, Swahili and English. Even in the most rural areas any of these languages will work because the average person on the farm has been at least to primary (elementary) school.
Commuters use car, bicycle, motorbike and foot even though there is a rail service from the City and Nanyuki Town. It is a slopey area with some areas at almost 80 degrees gradient.
Karatina Market
This is the largest open market in Africa South of the Sahara i.e. in sub-Saharan Africa.
Karatina Health Facilities
Major Hospitals in Karatina
There are two major hospitals in Karatina, the government – funded Karatina General Hospital and the private Jamii Hospital. In addition, PCEA TumuTumu Hospital is a few miles west of Karatina.
Other Hospitals include:
Arcade Medical Clinic
MFL Code: 10037
Facility Type: Medical Clinic
Owner: Private Practice – Clinical Officer
Gadi Medical Clinic
MFL Code: 10198
Facility Type: Medical Clinic
Owner: Private Practice – Clinical Officer
Karatina Medical Services
MFL Code: 10487
Facility Type: Medical Clinic
Owner: Private Practice – Clinical Officer
Masa Medical Clinic (Nyeri North)
MFL Code: 10702
Facility Type: Medical Clinic
Owner: Private Practice – Clinical Officer
Pona Medical Clinic (Nyeri North)
MFL Code: 10944
Facility Type: Medical Clinic
Owner: Private Practice – Clinical Officer
Sunny Medical Clinic (Nyeri North)
MFL Code: 11079
Facility Type: Medical Clinic
Owner: Private Practice – Clinical Officer
Maru A Pula Medical Clinic
MFL Code: 19705
Facility Type: Medical Clinic
Owner: Private Practice – Nurse / Midwife
Bevans Medical Clinic
MFL Code: 19709
Facility Type: Medical Clinic
Owner: Private Practice – General Practitioner
Karen Hospital (Karatina)
MFL Code: 19714
Facility Type: Medical Clinic
Owner: Private Practice – Nurse / Midwife
Karindundu dispensary
MFL Code: 20311
Facility Type: Dispensary
Owner: Ministry of Health
Karindundu dispensary
MFL Code: 20311
Facility Type: Dispensary
Owner: Ministry of Health
Education Institutions in Karatina
Karatina University College which was established and launched in 2007 is located 15km North of Karatina Town and boasts the spectacular view of the snow capped peaks of Mount Kenya. The serene, cool and green environment makes it conducive for academic work.
Karatina University College offers a range of market driven degree, diploma and certificate programmes. Its runs daytime as well as evening classes in Karatina Town.
Karatina University College as currently constituted, replaced KTDA Kagochi Training Institute which was first built in the early 1960s to train tea farmers and managers. The institute was upgraded in 1998-2001 by construction of modern infrastructure aimed at training senior KTDA staff.
Primary Schools in Karat
- D.E.B. Chehe (Forest) School
- Kiamwangi Primary School
- Kiarithaini Primary School
- D.E.B. Primary School
- Mathaithi Primary School
- Gikumbo Primary school
- Gatondo Primary School
- Gatundu Primary School
- Gathaithi Primary School
- Gathugu Primary School
- Gatina Primary School
- Giakabei Primary School
- Gikororo Primary School
- Hombe D.E.B. Primary School
- Kibira
- Icuga Primary School
- Ihiga Primary School
- Ihwagi Primary School
- Unjiru Primary school
- Kanjuri Primary School
- Kianjeneni primary school
- Kiamabara Primary School
- Kieni Primary School
- Itiati primary school
- Itundu Primary School
- Kahuru Primary School
- Kariki Primary School
- Kihuro primary school
- Magutu Primary School
- Miiri Primary School
- Ngandu primary
- Gathogorero primary school
- Future Leaders Academy
- Kanjuri Primary School
- Kangocho Primary School
- Kiangoma Primary School
- Tumutumu Primary School
- Ngurumo Primary School
- Kahuti-ini Primary School
- Ndima-ini Primary School
- Kiangi Primary school
- Rititi Primary school
- Ragati Primary School
- Gacuiro Primary school
- Ngaini Primary school
- Rising Star Academy
- Unjiru Primary School
Secondary Schools in Karatina
- Tumu Tumu Girls’ High School
- Tumutumu School for the Deaf
- Tumu Tumu Hospital Nursing School
- Kiangoma Boys secondary school
- Kiamabara Secondary School
- Kiarithaini Secondary School
- Karatina Secondary School
- Mathaithi Secondary School
- Kirimara Secondary School
- Gatondo Girls Secondary School
- Gikumbo Secondary School
- Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls High School
- Kangocho Secondary School
- Kirimara High school
- Pan-African High school
- Mount Carmel girls Gathugu
- Kanjuri High School
- Ruthagati Secondary School
- Itundu Secondary school