Embu County: Hub for Agriculture and Tourism Investment Opportunities

By Virginia Nyambura

Approximately 120 kilometers north-east of Nairobi, towards Kenya’s highest mountain, Mt Kenya, sits the quiet yet very busy, beautiful County of Embu.

Embu County, though, a major trading center in Eastern Kenya, tends to hit the airwaves mostly during elections after which it gets back to business and not much is heard about it.

Embu is recognized for its prowess in the agriculture sector, boasting about the production of several major cash and food crops such as tea, the famous superior Arabica Coffee varieties, cotton, macadamia nuts, maize, beans and sweet potatoes.

Tea in Embu is one of the finest in the World due to the County’s altitude and proximity to the Equator. It is grown on the upper slopes of Mt. Kenya and has several tea buying centers with a number of tea factories such as Mukuriri, Mungania, and Kathangariri. Therefore, an opportunity exists in processing and packaging and exporting of the tea.

The famous superior Arabica coffee varieties are grown in Embu. The hand-picked Arabica has a characteristic taste of an Mt. Kenya coffee giving it premium quality according to the International standards.

The county has a number of coffee factories such as Ndunduri, Kapingazi, and Kamurai among others. Another opportunity exists in the processing and packaging and exporting industry in the County.

Cotton, another cash crop that continues to put the County on the cash crop Agricultural map, fits the climatic condition of Mbeere. The County’s Agricultural officials have noted that the cultivation of cotton and its value addition has had immense potential for economic empowerment and creation of employment.

Macadamia, which is largely grown in Embu, has provided jobs to more than 200,000 residents of the County. Grown in the upper zones of Embu, Macadamia is a cash crop which is also exported. The County leads in the Country as a producer of the macadamia nuts. Farmers sell the nuts while in their shells to buyers who then take them to factories. The nuts potential is immense in Embu which is a natural habitat for the crop.

Maize, commonly known as Mbembe by the residents, and beans commonly referred to as Mboco are grown in equal measure. The beans are warm-season vegetables and grow with little care. Maize and beans are the residents’ staple food.

The main challenge facing the agricultural sector in the county is processing and investors need to look at filling the gap.

Embu, given its location and proximity to Mt Kenya, is also a hub of tourism. Some of the breath-taking tourist destinations in Embu include the Mwea Game Reserve located in Mbeere at the foothills of Mt.Kenya and the Nthenge Njeru Falls at the heart of Runyenjes in Embu.

Marketing of tourist sites has not been done properly and the County Government partnering with investors ought to look into it as even most residents of Embu lack knowledge of the sights.  

The county government, however, aims at establishing proper marketing strategies aimed at opening up of key tourist destinations in Embu.