The Kikuyu, Meru, Gusii, Embu, Akamba, Luyha (or alternate spelling of Luyia), Swahili and Mijikenka (which in fact is a group of different ethnic groups) constitute the majority of the Bantu speaking peoples of Kenya. In general, the Bantu have been farmers.
The 1979 Kenya census shows the combined total of Meru groups (Tigania, Igembe, Imenti, Mitine, Igoji, Mwimbi, Muthambi, and Chuka) to be 830,000 (Mbaabu, personal communication, 1985). Other figures range from 800,000 (UBS 1982), to 540,000 (Heine 1980), to 350,000 (Voegelin and Voegelin 1977). Grimes (1996) cites a figure of 1,305,000 Meru speakers.
Meru is a local first language and one of the languages broadcast over the Voice of Kenya.
Although Kimeru has seven vowels, only five are used in the orthography.
It is not known at this time whether one set of materials would be sufficient.
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