Taita–Taveta County is a county in Kenya, located approximately 200 km northwest of

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

, and 360 km southeast of

Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...

, it has a port and major gateway to the United Republic of

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

through Taveta. The county headquarters are located in

Mwatate Mwatate is a town in Taita-Taveta County, Kenya. It is the county's capital, although it is the fourth-largest town in the county. Other urban centers in Taita-Taveta County include Voi, Wundanyi and Taveta. Location Mwatate lies about sout ...

. It is one of the six counties in the Coastal region of Kenya. Major towns include Voi, Taveta,

, and

Wundanyi Wundanyi is a town in the Taita-Taveta County of Kenya. Other urban centres in the county include Voi, Taveta, Kenya, Taveta and Mwatate. Location Wundanyi is located approximately north of Mwatate, the county headquarters. It is about west of ...

. The population was 340,671 persons according to the 2019 national census, with population densities ranging from 14 persons per km² to more than 117 persons per km². The county's climate is of varied rainfall with the lower zones receiving an average of 440 mm of rainfall per annum and the highland areas receiving up to 1,900 mm of rainfall. The altitude range from 500 m above sea level to 2,300 meters above sea level at Vuria peak, which is the county's highest point.

Land use

Taita-Taveta county covers an area of 17,083.9 km², of which 62% or 11,100 km² is within Tsavo East and

Tsavo West National Park Tsavo West National Park is located in Taita-Taveta County of Kenya. The park covers an area of 9,065 square kilometres. The A109 road Nairobi-Mombasa and a railway divides it from the adjoining Tsavo East National Park. Together with adjoini ...

s. The remaining 5,876 km² consists of small scale farms, ranches, sisal estates, water bodies (such as Lakes

Chala The Chala or "Coast" is one of the eight Life_zones_of_Peru#Javier Pulgar Vidal's version, natural regions in Peru. It is formed by all the western lands that arise from sea level up to the height of 500 meters. The coastal desert of Peru is larg ...

and Jipe in Taveta and

Mzima springs Mzima Springs are a series of four natural springs in Tsavo National Park, Kenya. They are located in the west of the Park, around 48 km from Mtito Andei. The source of the springs is a natural reservoir under the Chyulu Hills to the north ...

), and the hilltop forests. The lowland areas of the county outside the national parks are farms, ranches, estates, and wildlife sanctuaries which receive an average of 440 mm of rain per annum whereas the highlands receive up to 1900 mm. Altitudes range from 500 m above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

to almost 2300 m at the highest point in the county of Vuria Peak. The county has approximately 25

ranch A ranch (from /Mexican Spanish) is an area of landscape, land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of farm. These terms are most often ap ...

es for cattle grazing. The three operating sisal estates in the county are

Teita Sisal Estate The Teita Sisal Estate is one of the largest sisal estates in the world, and the largest in East Africa. It is located in Kenya's Taita-Taveta County, in the former Coast Province, near the town of Mwatate. The company is active in growing sisal ...

Voi Sisal Estate Voi Sisal Estate is located near the township of Voi in the Taita-Taveta County of Kenya. It specializes mainly in production of sisal Sisal (, ; ''Agave sisalana'') is a species of flowering plant native to southern Mexico, but widely cultiva ...

and Taveta Sisal Estate. Many ranches have ventured into

wildlife tourism Wildlife tourism is an element of many nations' travel industry centered around observation and interaction with local animal and plant life in their natural habitats. While it can include eco- and animal-friendly tourism, safari hunting and ...

and conservation. The Taita Hills and Saltlick Lodges sanctuary are among the well known tourism attractions in Taita Taveta. There are 48 forests which have survived on hill tops in Taita-Taveta county of which 28 are gazetted and are under government protection and management. They range in size from small 500 square metre patches with a few remnant trees to modestly vast 2 square kilometre indigenous and exotic forest mountains. These forests are part of the unique Eastern Arc range of forests found mostly in eastern

with the

Taita Hills The Taita Hills, sometimes also spelled as Teita Hills, are a mountain range located in the Taita-Taveta County in south-eastern Kenya. The hills consist of three massifs: Dawida Massif, Dawida, Sagalla Massif, Sagalla in the southern side of Vo ...

forming the only Kenyan portion of that forest type. Taita Hills forest holds a unique biodiversity with 13 taxa of plants and 9 taxa of animals found only in the Taita Hills and nowhere else in the world. In addition, 22 plant species found in the Taita Hills forests are typical of the

Eastern Arc forests The Eastern Arc forests is a montane tropical moist forest ecoregion of eastern Africa. The ecoregion comprises several separate highland areas above 800 meters in Kenya, and (mostly) Tanzania. Setting The Eastern Arc forests extend across a t ...

. Within these beautiful indigenous forests, bubbles of clean water flow to the lowland areas catering for both human economic activities and wildlife.

Human – Wildlife conflict

Tsavo National Park covers approximately two-thirds of the land area of Taita-Taveta county, growth in human population causes conflict with wildlife. The national population census carried out in 1969 put the number of persons in the Taita-Taveta district at 110,742. The

Kenya Population and Housing Census The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) is a department in Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th- ...

of August 2019 found that the number of people in Taita-Taveta County was 340,671 representing an increase of 207.6% in fifty years. The growth of the human population means that the land close to the park boundaries is converted from bush land into settlements. Consequently, people have been killed by wildlife, as others lose crops and livestock. The national government has a mechanism for financially compensating families for wildlife-related deaths and destruction of property, but residents of Taita-Taveta say the process of claiming compensation is too tedious. A television news report broadcast in September 2018 revealed that only ten out of more than 1,500 claims for compensation in the county had been paid out in the previous five years.

Tourist attractions

Lake Jipe, Lake

, Kasigau Mountain, Taita Hills, Shomoto Hill, Aruba Dam, Mudanda Rock, Yatta Plateau, Lugard Falls, Tsavo National Reserve, Shetani Lava Flow, Mzima Springs.

Population

Religion

Sub-Counties

The seat of the county government of Taita-Taveta is at the small town of

, and the largest town being Voi.

Constituencies

The county has four constituencies: *

Taveta Constituency Taveta Constituency is an electoral constituency in Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous ...

* Wundanyi Constituency * Mwatate Constituency * Voi Constituency

Wards

The county has the following wards: * Bomeni Ward * Werugha Ward * Rong’e Ward * Mahoo Ward * Kasighau Ward * Sagala Ward * Marungu Ward * Kaloleni Ward * Ngolia Ward * Wusi/Kishamba Ward * Mbololo Ward * Chawia Ward * Bura Ward * Mwanda/Mghange Ward * Mata Ward * Wundanyi/Mbale Ward * Wumingu/Kishushe Ward * Mboghoni Ward * Chala Ward * Mwatate Ward

References

External links

Taita Taveta County Government Official Site

Taita Taveta County Government Official Facebook page

Taita Taveta County Government Official Twitter Page

Taita Taveta County Assembly Official Site

Kenya National Parks
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