Murang'a South District Development Plan 2008-2012

Abstract

Murang'a South District (formerly Maragua) is one of the districts that make up the Central Province. It was carved from the larger Murang'a District (Now Murang'a North) in 1996. Murang'a South District borders Murang'a North District to the North, Thika District to the south and to the West it borders Nyandarua District, Yatta to the east and to the northeast it is bordered by Kirinyaga and Mbeere Districts. It lies between latitudes 0° 45' South and 1° 07' South and longitudes 36° East and 37° 27' East The district has an area of approximately 1107.6 km2 out of which 52km2 is under Gatare forest as shown in table 1.1. Makuyu division is the largest in the district with 239.6 km2 followed by Kandara Division with 237 km2 Maragua is the smallest with 205 km2• It has four administrative divisions namely; Maragua, Kigumo, 0Makuyu and Kandara. The district is made up of three political constituencies namely; Kandara, Kigumo and Maragua and there are four local authorities namely; Maragua County Council, Maragua Town Council, Makuyu Town Council and Kandara Town Council. Settlement patterns in the district correspond with natural resource endowment. This is exhibited by sparse population density in the low rainfall and semi-arid lower parts of the district such as Makuyu division, Maragua ridge and around Gatare forest in Kigumo Division. On the contrary, population density is high in high and medium rainfall potential areas of Kandara, Kigumo and Maragua Divisions...