Private Museums in Taita Taveta
Taita Hills Museum: Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary
Taita Taveta unrepeatably holds the rare history of world war campaigns in Kenya, with a distinct concentration of war antiques at Mzima Springs Forts, the Kitchwa Tembo Hill, Poacher’s Look Out, Mahoo Hills, Mahoo Hills Church, Mahoo Fort and Observation Post, Salaita Hill, Taveta Police Station, Taveta War Cemetery, Maktau Railway Station and Mashoti Fort. Its furthest town, Taveta, set nearby the border with Tanzania, was a spiffing post for more than one sensational affray. Conscious of the need to preserve this heritage, Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary took these lead in East Africa by identifying the war sites in which relics exist to or into 35 in total.
At Taita Hills Museum the enchanting journey of the war and its major players is told in a mixture of pictures, artifacts and detailed panels. Some of the artifacts in display cases lining the museum walls, with didactic panels, are historically epic including a impressive collection of brass mountain gun shell cases, a breech bolt from a German Mauser rifle, and the tailfin from a British 20lb Hales Bomb. Also of significance is a brass plaque that tells the story of the HMS Pegasus, a Royal Navy cruiser sunk by the German light cruiser dubbed SMS Konigsberg during the Battle of Zanzibar. There’s also a restored daybed from the old German SMS Konigsberg.
Other interests include the imaginative table size military diorama in the center of the display room depicting Mwashoti Fort, a British hideout post. Suspended from the ceiling above the diorama is a model aircraft of a WW1 fighter plane, honoring 100 years of powered flight in Kenya since October 12, 1915. Its a small, neat but captivating museum, occupying a corner of the lobby. A moving reminder of the passing of time. It owes its existence mostly to James Wilson, an history buff and battlefields enthusiast who has been exploring the area for the last four decades, discovering many battle sites and observation posts as well as numerous artifacts belonging to both the German and British combatants, many of which are on loan.
Wilson began mapping the area’s history in the early 1900’s and wrote the book titled “Guerrillas of Tsavo: The East African Campaign of the Great War in British East Africa 1914-1916” which details the East African campaign and the indelible role played by the Brits in shaping the gist of Kenya’s history. Prior to the opening of the museum, a modest exhibition of artifacts and information on the Campaign had been displayed at the Taita Lodge, but when the centenary of the end of WWI drew nigh, the vibrant and updated exhibition was curated to mark the milestone.
Opened in February 2014, displaying relics and varied memorabilia collected from the Taita, visitors can begin to make sense of the fierce and bone-chilling constant battles pitting the German Schutztruppe troops against the British during WWI, from 1914 to 1918. Once familiar with the history at Taita Hills Museum, visitors can venture outdoors to visit the many sites within easy reach of the lodge. Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary also contains Maili 27 Bridge, one of the notable, of many sites in its environs, providing links in the chain of events, as is the near Mwashoti Hill.
Maili 27 Bridge quickly became a raison d’être to divert the British and a happy hunting ground for the Germans issuing threats to jeopardize the brand new and all-important Uganda Railway. By blowing the bridge, they knew all too well that the British would not put up with such an act of war. Now and then the Germans breached the line, just to test the British frontline resolve. On September 29, 1914, German soldiers ambushed a train that had been transporting food and munition to Maktau outpost camp, an attack that claimed 24 British and 3 German soldiers.
Nearby, too, at Mwashoti Fort, are deep trenches of what was once a British post. On January 25, 2015, 11 of these sites in Taita Taveta were duly elevated to National Monuments: D.C’s Office Taveta, Taveta A.C.K Church Mahoo, German Fortress (at Taveta ACK including the pastor’s house), Voi Commonwealth Graves, the Maktau Indian Commonwealth Graves, Taveta Indian Military Cemetery, Taveta A.C.K War Graves, Taveta Commonwealth Graves, Maktau Station, Maktau, and Salaita Hills.
The regional museums in Kenya offer a fascinating journey through the country’s history and heritage. They look back at ancient civilizations, cultures as they were centuries ago, cottage industries, colonial legacies, and archaeological finding – in specialization or as a combination – to give insights on the past and present.
Index of Regional Museums in Kenya
Baringo County - Kabarnet Museum, Kipsaraman Museum, Biretwo Museum, Busia County - The Kakapel Cultural Center, Elgeyo Marakwet County - Tambach Museum, Homa Bay County - Abasuba Peace Museum, Kajiado County - Olorgesailie Museum, Kericho County - Fort Tenan Prehistoric Site, Kilifi County - The Gede Ruins, Malindi Museum, Rabai Cultural Landscape, Kisumu County - Kisumu Museum, Lamu County - German Post Office, Lamu Museum, Takwa Ruins, Marsabit County - Desert Museum, Koobi Fora Museum, Meru County - Meru Museum, Njuri Ncheke Museum, Migori County - Thimlich Ohinga, Mombasa County - Fort Jesus Museum, Nairobi County - Karen Blixen Museum, Judiciary Museum, Railway Museum, Nairobi National Museum, Nakuru County - Kariandusi Museum, Hyrax Hill Museum, Nandi County - Koitalel Arap Samoei Museum, Narok County - Narok Museum, Nyeri County - Nyeri Museum, Paxtu House, Samburu County - Kenyatta House Maralal, Trans Nzoia County - Kitale Museum, Wajir County - Wajir Museum, West Pokot County - Kapenguria Museum
Privately Run Museums Around Kenya: Rhodia Mann Museum, Treasures of Africa, The Adamson's Museum, Taita Hills Museum, African Heritage House, Rev. Wray Museum, Maa Museum Enashipai Resort, Swahili House Museum Lamu, Museum of Illusions, Kapkatet Kipsigis Cultural Museum, The Gikuyu Museum, Memorial Peace Museum
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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Explore Destinations Nearby Taita Hills Museum
Guide to Taita Taveta County
A Summa Digest of Taita Taveta
About Taita Taveta Way Back When
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
The mean temperature in Taita Taveta is 23 Degrees Celsius, cooler around the hills and hotter on the Nyika where the Tsavos sit. Rainfall distribution is uneven, with the highlands receiving higher rains than the lowland areas.
Taita Taveta County is divided into two major topographical zones: The upper zone high zones, and the lower zone consists of plains of Tsavos.