Othaya is a Kenyan town about 120 kilometres north of Nairobi, the capital. It has a population of 21,427, of which 4,108 are core urban (1999 census ); the majority of the residents are of the Kikuyu tribe. Othaya is part of the Nyeri County. It is an agricultural area with coffee and tea as the main cash crops. Main crop grown in the area are Tea and coffee, while most farmers are subsistence.