Taita-Taveta County is county 006 of Kenya’s 47. It covers 17,083.9 km² between the Taita Hills and the Tanzanian border, was part of the former Coast Province, and had 340,671 residents at the 2019 census. Wundanyi, in the hills above Voi, is the county capital; Voi on the Nairobi–Mombasa highway is the largest town. The county governor is Andrew Mwadime.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Capital | Wundanyi |
| County code | 006 |
| Population (2019 census) | 340,671 |
| Area | 17,083.9 km² |
| Former province | Coast |
| Sub-counties | 4 |
| Main languages | Kidawida (Taita), Kitaveta, Swahili, English |
Towns and Villages in Taita-Taveta County
Taita-Taveta has four sub-counties, each also a constituency: Taveta, Wundanyi, Mwatate and Voi. Settlement is squeezed into a small share of the county, because Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks together take up roughly 62 per cent of the land. Most villages sit either in the Taita Hills around Wundanyi and Mwanda, on the Sagalla and Kasigau ridges, or on the irrigated plain at Taveta near Lake Jipe.
| Town | Type | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Voi | Town | 53,353 |
| Taveta | Town | 22,018 |
| Wundanyi | Town, county capital | 12,501 |
| Mwatate | Sub-county town | 9,572 |
| Maungu | Trading centre | 4,713 |
The full list below records 109 named towns, villages and localities across the county.
- Bungule
- Bura
- Chala
- Chawia
- Choke
- Chukia
- Dabida
- Dembwa
- Figini
- Ghazi
- Ikanga
- Jipe
- Jora
- Kacheru
- Kajire
- Kamboyo
- Kamleza
- Kampi ya Bibi
- Kedai
- Kidaya
- Kifumbu
- Kigala
- Kigombo
- Kilaguni
- Kimala
- Kipusi
- Kisaghun
- Kishota
- Kisorini
- Kitege
- Kithogoto
- Kitibu
- Kungu
- Kwaringoi
- Landhi a Mtoni
- Latika
- Lualeni
- Lushangonyi
- Madabogo
- Majego
- Makinyambu
- Maktau
- Makwasinyi
- Manjuga
- Maranu
- Margasa
- Mariwenyi
- Masengoni
- Mashanda
- Mata
- Maungu
- Mbauro
- Mdundonyi
- Mgambonyi
- Mgenge
- Miereni
- Mkameni
- Mlegwa
- Mragua
- Mrangi
- Msau
- Mtungi
- Mulemwa
- Mwachawaza
- Mwaketutu
- Mwakiki
- Mwakinyungu
- Mwambirwu
- Mwanda
- Mwandanga
- Mwarungu
- Mwatate
- Mweani
- Mwembeni Landhi
- Ndile
- Ndololo
- Ndome
- Ngambinyi
- Ngerenyi
- Nghonji
- Ngulia
- Ngutuni
- Rukanga
- Sagala
- Secho
- Sela Mbaha
- Shelemba
- Shigaro
- Sungululu
- Talio
- Tausa
- Taveta
- The Kopie
- Timbila
- Tsavo
- Tsavo T.C.
- Voi
- Weruga
- Wesu
- Wmingo
- Wongonyi
- Wumari
- Wumingu
- Wundanyi
- Wusi
- Yale
- Zare
- Ziwani
- Ziwani Camp
Geography
The county has three landscapes. The Taita Hills rise steeply from the plains to Vuria at 2,208 m, the highest point in the county, and carry the last fragments of the Eastern Arc cloud forest at Ngangao, Chawia and Mbololo. Around them lie hot, dry Tsavo plains at 500 to 700 m. To the west, on the Tanzanian frontier, Taveta sits in a green belt fed by springs off Mount Kilimanjaro.
Water bodies include Lake Jipe, shared with Tanzania, and Lake Chala, a crater lake straddling the same border. Mzima Springs in Tsavo West discharges about 250 million litres a day and has supplied Mombasa with piped water since 1957. The Tsavo, Voi and Lumi rivers drain the county into the Galana system. Rainfall ranges from about 1,500 mm a year on the wettest hilltops to under 500 mm on the Tsavo plains.
Taita-Taveta borders Kwale County to the south-east, Kilifi County to the east, Tana River County to the north-east, Kitui County to the north, Makueni County to the north-west and Kajiado County to the west. Tanzania lies across the south-western boundary at Holili.
Demographics
The 2019 census counted 340,671 people — 168,289 men and 172,368 women — in 97,806 households. Spread over 17,083.9 km², that is about 20 people per km², one of the lowest densities in the coastal region, chiefly because the parks are uninhabited. Density in the Taita Hills wards is many times higher than the county average.
The Taita are the largest community, speaking Kidawida in the Dabida hills, Kisaghala on Sagalla and Kikasigau at Kasigau. The Taveta people, who speak Kitaveta, live in the west. Kamba, Kikuyu, Luo and Pare residents are present in the trading centres, and Maasai herders use the northern rangelands. Swahili and English are the working languages.
Economy and Local Life
Mining is the county’s signature industry. The Mwatate and Kishushe belts yield tsavorite — the green garnet first identified here in 1967 — along with ruby, tourmaline, green grossular and rhodolite. Small-scale miners work hundreds of claims, and gemstone dealing sustains the market at Mwatate.
Farming splits by altitude. The hills grow maize, beans, bananas, coffee, avocado, macadamia and vegetables on terraced plots, with dairy cattle kept in stalls. Taveta’s irrigated plain produces bananas, maize, cotton, tomatoes, onions and rice. Sisal estates around Voi, Mwatate and Teita are among the largest in Kenya, and ranching on the group ranches south of Tsavo East runs alongside wildlife conservancies. Tourism is built on Tsavo East, Tsavo West, the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and Lake Chala. Market days at Wundanyi, Mwatate, Voi and Taveta draw traders from across the sub-counties.
Getting There
The A109 Nairobi–Mombasa highway runs through Mtito Andei, Manyani, Voi and Maungu. Voi is about 160 km north-west of Mombasa and 330 km south-east of Nairobi. From Voi the C103 climbs 25 km to Wundanyi and runs 110 km west to Taveta and the Tanzanian border post at Holili, which links to Moshi and Arusha.
The Standard Gauge Railway has a station at Voi, served by the Madaraka Express intercounty service, and the old metre-gauge Voi–Taveta branch follows the same corridor. Airstrips operate at Voi, Ikanga, Kilaguni and Finch Hattons inside Tsavo West, mainly for safari charters.
FAQ
What is the capital of Taita-Taveta County?
Wundanyi is the county capital, set in the Taita Hills about 25 km from Voi. Voi is the county’s largest town and its main transport hub.
How many towns and villages are in Taita-Taveta County?
This page lists 109 named towns, villages and localities, from Voi and Taveta down to small hill hamlets such as Wongonyi and Mwanda.
Which sub-counties make up Taita-Taveta County?
Four: Taveta, Wundanyi, Mwatate and Voi. Each is also a parliamentary constituency.
What is the population of Taita-Taveta County?
The 2019 census recorded 340,671 residents, at about 20 people per km².
Which gemstones are mined in Taita-Taveta?
Tsavorite, ruby, tourmaline, rhodolite and green grossular garnet, mostly around Mwatate and Kishushe. Tsavorite was first identified in these hills in 1967.
How far is Voi from Mombasa?
About 160 km by the A109, a drive of roughly two and a half hours. The Madaraka Express also stops at Voi.