The town was started by British settlers during in the early days of colonial Kenya in 1907. Some of their descendants still live in or around the town. The town is today multi-cultural and is the market center for farms, ranches, game parks and wildlife conservancies in the region. It's also the base for people seeking to climb Mount Kenya, the most famous landmark in the country. The Equator line passes 6.5 km (4 mi) south of this town
