Limuru Tea Plantations

Limuru is a town located on the eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley about 30 miles North-West from Nairobi the capital city of Kenya. Limuru residents rely mostly on farming and a shoe factory for employment. Early in the British colonial period (from the 1890s) Europeans settled in the area due to its proximity to Nairobi, the railway, its fertile land and pleasant weather.

Most of the area of Limuru is now what was previously known as the “white highlands”, a rich agricultural land just south of the equator. The term “white highlands” derived from the British and other Europeans who realised the productive potential of this area and settled in large numbers with the support of the colonial government, establishing coffee and tea plantations, cereal farms and ranches. Altitude of the town is about 2,500 meters.

Limuru has a temperature of 10 – 28 °C (75 °F) year round. The Kiambethu Tea Farm is located in Limuru, which is a pleasant 70 minute drive from the outskirts of the city. You will pass through various small towns, giving you a glimpse of Kenyan rural life, and when you enter the highlands area, you will begin to see the tea plantations.

You are welcomed by your host, the soft spoken Fiona, who takes you into her lovely home and over some tea and coffee, tells you about the history of the tea farming and also some fascinating details about early colonial life. Fiona is 3rd generation Kenyan and her family is one of the pioneers in tea farming, as well as the founder of the Limuru Girls School, across from the tea farm.