Locals refer to Meru Town, Kenya's biggest municipality in the eastern region, as ‘Mutindwa’, meaning “where people spend the whole day.” The town’s full original name was “Mutindwa jwa Kangangi,” relating to Sir Edward Butler Horne, the first British District Commissioner of Meru, who acquired the nickname ‘Kangangi’ due to his short stature and frequent travels.

• Meru Town was officially established on May 13, 1911, with Sir Edward Butler Horne proclaiming the area where Meru Town stands today as a township.
• The Meru National Museum, built in 1917 by Horne, served as the first permanent structure and the district commissioner’s administrative headquarters.
• The town currently has a population of roughly 240,000 residents and hosts the Central Bank of Kenya’s (CBK’s) Currency Centre, serving the northeastern half of Kenya, and 22 commercial bank branches.