Tetu safe haven without any police station

Women from Gicheha in Tetu during a past women empowerment meet. Crime rates in the region are low despite having no police station. [File, Standard]

Despite being in the same county with Mathira Constituency, crime rates in Tetu Constituency are relatively low.

According to the Kenya National Bureau Statistics Nyeri County Statistical Abstract report, 882 crimes were reported in 2014 in Mathira Constituency. Nyeri Central, which consists of Tetu and Nyeri Town combined, only reported 416 crimes in the same period.

Perhaps the most unusual finding in the report is that despite being gazetted in 1988 Tetu Constituency has no police station and residents have to rely on four police posts and one Administration Police camp.

A few kilometres away is Mathira Constituency, which has three police stations, four main police posts, six police facilities and two Administration Police camps, totaling 15 police installations.

Home to Kimathi

Tetu Constituency is considered one of the smallesr sub-counties in Nyeri and is often administratively considered part of Nyeri Central, which consists of Nyeri Town Municipality and Tetu. Tetu is considered the birth place of the Mau Mau struggle and is home to freedom fighter Dedan Kimathi.

Bordering the Aberdare Forest, the constituency is also home to the late Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai. Prof Maathai served as Tetu MP between 2002 and 2007 on a NARC ticket, but lost the seat to Francis Nyammo in the election that followed.

According to the Kenya National Bureau of statistics Population and Housing Census 2009, Tetu has 78,320 people living in 21,623 households.

The neighbouring Mathira has a population size of 148,847 and 44,304 households, more than double the number of households in Tetu Constituency.

Mathira Constituency covers 389 squared kilometres, while Tetu Constituency sits on 150 square kilometres.

The KNBS Nyeri County Statistical Abstract reported that the constituency had no police station and no level 3 public or private hospital. Tetu residents rely on five government health centres and 14 dispensaries, and only four private faith-based clinics for their health services.

Former Wamagama MCA Jesse Kamuri, who is also a Tetu resident, said 90 per cent of the inhabitants of the constituency are have deeper roots there.

“We live in a rural community where most people know their neighbours and have lived next to each other for several generations,” he noted.