Historical Sites in Taita Taveta

Salaita Hill: The Battle of Oldoboro Hill

40 km west of Maktau opposite the turnoff to Ziwani, where the A23 Taveta Road makes a wide curve round a hill, rises the infamous Salaita, a place-name whose import is widely-cited to be a corruption of ‘slaughter hill’ from its assumption as an active battle position in February and March of 1916 where the shelling caused massive casualties to camps of the British and Germans counterparties. In August of 1914, after they had seized Taveta, the Germans moved inland, as far as Maktau, set on taking over Salaita Hill as a defensive stake doubling as a germane lookout.

At the end of 1915, the British were in turn setting up plans to invade German East Africa. They kept a weather eye on Salaita Hill, well aware of its perceived, or real, importance as a tactical point. This was a key area! It was like the cork on the wine bottle. For the Brits to taste the wine, in German East Africa, they had to take over Salaita. The attack on Salaita was the footing of the British to force the Germans out of the only British territory they held during the war. Their intelligence showed it was defended by a small detachment of 300 men with no artillery. And yet, the move to soft-pedal this small defense was an error that would cost them dearly.

The main South African contingent to aid in the war effort on the side of the Brits arrived in Mombasa in December of 1915. On February 12th, 1916, the consolidated forces of the British, Rhodesian and South African troops, led by brigadier General Beve’s 2nd South African Infantry brigade and 1st East African brigade, attacked Saliata, firm on upending the balance of power. Reinforcement came in the form of an Indian artillery brigade. The British and South Africans plan was to ambush in strength against the Germans defending the hill, which would then pave the way for an advance on the German-held Taveta town. A dust-up was now inevitable.

The allies had a marked superiority in numbers, surely prompting overconfidence. Yet, however promising the classic confrontation was going to be, the allies had internal issues to deal with first. The camp was beset by racial pulls: the (white) South Africans somewhat resented having to serve with Indian troops, whom, in their view, were inferior. Still, under the command of Britain’s General Malleson, the allied force planned a frontal assault on German positions, preceded by an artillery bombardment. Malleson had little combat experience, having served briefly as part of a British military mission to Afghanistan prior to the start of WWI.

A bit wet in the ears, going on faulty British intelligence, he advanced. Unbeknown to him, Salaita was heavily defended by about 1,300 men under Maj. Georg Kraut. Tactlessly, bad intelligence meant that the shells largely missed the Germans; the bombardment only serving to warn the Germans that an attack was forthcoming. Fast to action, the German artillery quickly sought to disrupt the infantry’s assault. Although the South Africans managed to penetrate German positions, their effort was soon grinded to a halt. Punishing machine gun fire from the vantage of the hill pushed back the South Africans, who then found themselves beset by a flanking attack by German support rushed here by Lettow-Vorbeck, a senior commander.

The South Africans were hastily put to flight by the enemy forces consisted mainly of Askaris; African recruits. A complete rout of the British and South Africans was prevented only by the brave stand of the Indian troops, who covered the retreat of the rest. By February 15, 1916, it was Germany 1: Britain 0 at Salaita. The skirmish was brief. The German Schutztruppe had countered the advance of the allies, who lost 172 soldiers, 138 of them South Africans. The ripple effect of this loss was vast.

Following this affray, the allied force moved further north, to regroup and replan. On February 19, South African Minister for War and Deputy Prime Minister General Jan Smuts arrived in Kenya with thousands of reinforcements from South Africa, with a mandate to invade German East Africa. In early March that year the British forces were ordered to abandon their defensive operations. Following his arrival, the push to remove the Germans from British territory was restarted, in earnest. News of the incoming surge of strong arm tactic had reached the Germans and by March they had started retreating from Salaita withdrawing towards Moshi area.

They retreated along the rail line towards Tanga and along the Pangani River as well as moving towards Handeni and onto Morogoro. General Smuts deployed his 1st Division to advance from Longido, to cut off the Moshi-Arusha road in tandem with the 1st and 3rd South African mounted brigades wend strategically across the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro to attack Moshi from the north and east. The 2nd Division, commanded by Major General M J Tighe (Indian Army), was ordered to capture the German defensive position sighted on the Latema-Reata ridgeline.

This lay in a gap between Mount Kilimanjaro and the Pare Mountains to the south-east. Brigadier Malleson, who had previously failed twice in using frontal attacks at Mbuyuni and Salaita led an attack, again, ordered on the Latema Hill set north of the Nek. The military commander in GEA was the talented, energetic and skillful Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck. He assigned one of his steadiest subordinates, Capt. G. Kraut, to defend Latema-Reata and Kraut placed the 18th Field Company on Reata and the 30th Field Company and Wangoni Company (Ngoni) on Latema.

The German field companies each contained around 200 Askari and 20 or more Europeans. Each field company possessed at least two machine guns and these were controlled and fired by Europeans. At the last, and heavily reinforced, the Brits finally managed to secure Salaita Hill from Lettow-Vorbeck’s troops a month later, marking a significant shift in the balance of the conflict in British favour.

South Africans of all racial groups served in different capacities from February 1915 to the departure of the last German prisoners in February 1919. In November 1916 large numbers of South Africans were repatriated home to recover from malaria, dysentery and the consequences of malnutrition. Were it not for its old bunkers and turrets, occasional cartridges, unexploded ordinance and trenches, very little gives it away as a battle front that witnessed a major historic battle. Today, Salaita Hill is a site of historical interest and attracts visitors interested in military history.

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Kenya is home to numerous historic sites that showcase the country’s rich cultural heritage, ancient civilizations, colonial history, and struggle for independence. These historic sites offer valuable insights into Kenya’s past and its diverse cultural heritage, making them essential destinations for visitors interested in her history.

Index of Historic Sites Around Kenya



Baringo County - Timboroa Railway Station, Bungoma County - Chetambe Fort, Kilifi County - Prince Henry the Navigator Monument, Vasco da Gama Pillar, Malindi Pillar Tomb, Portuguese Chapel, Malindi Butwani Pier, Kwale County - Shimoni Ruins, Lamu County - Shela Mosque, Lamu Fort, German Post Office, Siyu Fort, Machakos County - Macmillan Castle Sabuk, Fort Machakos, Makueni County - Gurdwara Makindu Sahib, Patterson Ruins Tsavo, Meru County - Kaaga War Memorial, Twin Baobab Trees, Giant Meru Oak, Mombasa County - Fort Jesus, Old Port, Sanaa Gallery, Leven House, Old Law Courts, Kengeleni Bell, Old Railway Station, Mbaraki Pillar, Fort St. Joseph, Kraph Monument, Fort Makupa, Arab Rifle's Monument, Mombasa's Tusks, Ras Serani Light, Mandera County - Fort El Wak, Nandi County - Kaptumo I Kipture Forts, Samiitui Aldai Historic Stone, Nyeri County - Old Ruling Court, Taita Taveta County - Kitchwa Tembo Hill, Salaita Hill, The Sniper Tree, Maktau Railway Station, Mwashoti Hill, Mwakitau Hill, Tana River County - Tana Delta Old Fort, Tharaka Nithi County - The Mutunguruni Tree, Wajir County - Wajir Fort, Ancient Orahey Wells, Orahey Bunkers, The Old Town Wajir

Historic Ruins along the Coast of Kenya - Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, Tana River & Lamu

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Situated in south-western Kenya, and part of the Coast Region of Kenya, Taita-Taveta County is known for its stunning landscapes, rich biodiversity, and cultural heritage. The county features diverse landscapes, including the Taita Hills, which are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, and the vast plains of Tsavo, which are part of Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks – Kenya’s largest wildlife preserve.

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85 Destinations in Taita Taveta County, arranged as one would visit these - north, west then south - with aid of in-depth narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:

Chyulu Hills National Park, Kisula Caves, Kampi ya Kanzi Lodge, Tsavo West National Park, Kamboyo Lodge, Mzima Springs, Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge, Ancient Roaring Rocks, Ngulia Hills, Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, Kitchwa Tembo Hill, Chaimu Crater, The Five Sister's Hills, Shetani Lava, Finch Hattons Camp, Mount Kilimanjaro, Lake Chala, Crystal Lake Chala Caves, Voyager Ziwani Tented Camp, Sniper Tree, Gicheha Ziwani Farm, The Njoro Springs, Grogan’s Castle, Mokine Hill, Lake Jipe, Lake Jipe Eco-lodge, Salaita Hill, The Taveta Military Cemetery, Maktau Indian Cemetery, Maktau Railway Station, Taita Hills Game Lodge, Taita Hills Museum, Sarova Salt Lick Lodge, Mwashoti Hill, Maili 27 Bridge, Mwakitau Hill, Lumo Game Sanctuary, Lions Bluff Lodge, Lualenyi Camp, Ndolwa Game Sanctuary, Dembwa Falls, Bura Mission Church, Vuria Hill, Taita Hills, Wesu Rock, Taita Rocks Hotel, Malowa's Shrine, Taita Skull Caves, Taita Research Station, Kilangarenyi Falls, Ngangao Forest, Kenyatta Caves, Mount Sagalla, Rev. Wray Memorial Museum, Ngutuni Wildlife Sanctuary, Volunteer International Camp Tsavo, Mount Kasigau, Kasigau Base Camp, The Maungu Plains, Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary, Wushumbu Conservancy, Teita Sisal Estate, Mbulia Conservancy, Tsavo East National Park, Ithumba Elephant Nursery, Yatta Plateau, Tsavo Springs, Emusaya Wilderness Arc, Galdessa Little Camp, Lugard's Falls, Mudanda Rock, Voi War Cemetery, Lion Hill Lodge, Kanderi Swamp, Voi Wildlife Lodge, Aruba Dam, A. Aruba Lodge, Nyiri Desert

Know More About Taita Taveta County: Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments

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