MERU, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE of. - It is situated in the central part of Kenya, northeast of Mount Kenya, and is Istituto Missioni Consolata (v.). It was erected on 10 March 1926 from territory detached Nyeri (v.). It comprises the district of M. and part of the district of Embu. The first two mission stations (Imenti and Egoji) were founded in 1911.
From 1940, after all the Italian missionaries of the prefecture had been interned, it had a delegated vicar assisted by 5 fathers and 1 lay brother, Dutch members of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost. In 1944 the Consolata missionaries returned, remaining under the direction of the delegated vicar until the appointment of the present apostolic administrator, who is the apostolic vicar of Nyeri.
According to the latest statistics (1950), the prefecture has an area of approximately 9,000 sq. km., 320,000 inhabitants, 13,546 Catholics, of whom 13,501 are indigenous and 45 foreign, 3,040 catechumens, 20,500 Protestants, 830 Muslims, approximately 282,000 pagans, 22 foreign priests, 7 foreign lay brothers, 39 foreign sisters, 73 catechists, 177 male teachers and 10 female teachers; 11 principal stations and 1 secondary station; 11 churches and 1 chapel; 1 hospital and 9 dispensaries; 102 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools, 2 vocational schools, and 1 teacher-training school. There are Catholic Action associations. In 1950 there were 920 adult Baptisms.