CHRISTIANITY IN KIRINYAGA (Part 1)
Before it was called Kirinyaga, the place was called Ndia.
From 1885 to 1911, Ndia was part of Mbiri District, which is today's Murang'a. Because there was only one white man's fort for all of Central Kenya; Fort Hall at Mbiri, built in 1900 by Francis Hall had very few white officers, so all of Kiambu, Murang'a, Ndia and Embu were ruled from Mbiri.
From 1912 to 1932, Ndia was moved to Nyeri District. In 1906 the British attacked Embu with Mbeere and Kikuyu collaborators. After that war they opened new bomas at Nyeri and Embu. It was now easier to control Ndia from Nyeri than from far Mbiri.
From 1933 to 1963, Ndia was moved again to Embu. The colonialists created tribal reserves. They said Ndia, Gichugu, Embu and Mbeere are one related group. So they put them under one District Commissioner at Embu to collect tax, forced labour and count livestock easily.
It was only in 1963 at independence that Kirinyaga was made a separate district. Population was big, people demanded their own district after Mau Mau, and it was named after its nearest mountain to the north, Mountain Kirinyaga (Mt. Kenya). #Kirinyaga
