Meru people

The Meru people, or Ameru, are a Bantu ethnic group who mainly inhabit the Meru region of Kenya. They speak Kimîîru language.

The Meru people of Kenya should not be mistaken with the Meru of neighboring Tanzania, or Wameru.

Location

The Meru are a community living primarily on the fertile agricultural northeastern slope of Mount Kenya, in the Eastern Province of Kenya. The name "Meru" refers to both the people and the location, as for many years there was only one geo-political district for the Meru people which originated from the colonial land unit. This changed in 1992, when the district was divided into three: Meru, Nyambene, and Tharaka-Nithi.More districts have been created since then as of May 2009 the Meru region consisted of twelve (12) districts. In all the Meru region consists of approximately 13000km2 stretching from River Thuci in the South which is the traditional boundary between the Meru and Embu people to Isiolo district in the north. However the northern border is not as clearly defined as the southern border . The Kenyan Ameru are unrelated to the Meru people in north Tanzania, other than that they are both Bantu-speaking. The Meru are primarily agrarian, with some animals kept mainly in the northern part of the region. Their home life and culture is similar to other Highland Bantus. The Tharaka live in the dry desert area, a much harsher life than most Meru.

Meru people are divided into seven sections; namely, the Igoji,...
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