Taita–Taveta County (previously known as Taita Taveta District) is a county of Kenya. It lies approximately 140 km northwest of Mombasa and 380 km southeast of Nairobi. The County headquarters are located in Mwatate, which is central to the county.
The population of the county 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. This is due to the varied rainfall and terrain with the lower zones receiving an average 440 mm of rain per annum and the highland areas receiving up to 1,900 mm of rain. The county ranges in altitude from 500 m above sea level to 2,228 m at Vuria Peak, which is the county’s highest point.
Land Use
The county covers an area of 17,083.9 km2, of which 62% or 11,100 km2, is within Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks. The remaining 5,876 km2 consists of small scale farms, ranches, sisal estates, water bodies (such as Lakes Chala and Jipe in Taveta and Mzima springs), and the hilltop forests.
The lowland areas of the county outside the national parks are farms, ranches, estates, and wildlife sanctuaries. The county has approximately 25 ranches. The main land use in the ranches is cattle grazing. The three operating sisal estates in the county are Teita Sisal Estate, Voi Sisal Estate and Taveta Sisal Estate. Many ranches have ventured into wildlife tourism and conservation. The Taita Hills and Saltlick Lodges sanctuary is among the well known tourism attractions in Taita Taveta.
There are 48 forests which have survived on hill tops in the 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 kilometer indigenous and exotic forest mountains. These forests are part of the unique Eastern Arc range of forests found mostly in eastern Tanzania with the Taita Hills forming the only Kenyan portion of that forest type.
The Taita Hills forest hold 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. Within these beautiful indigenous forests, bubbles clean water flowing to the lowland areas catering for both human economic activities and wildlife.
Human – Wildlife Conflict
As the 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 then Taita Taveta district at 110,742. The Kenya Population and Housing Census 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 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 Taita Taveta County had been paid out in the previous five years.
Population – Taita–Taveta County
| Year | Pop. |
|---|---|
| 1969 | 110,742 |
| 1979 | 147,597 |
| 1989 | 207,273 |
| 1999 | 246,671 |
| 2009 | 284,657 |
| 2019 | 340,671 |
| Kenya Administrative Divisions: 2019 Census: |
Sub-Counties – Taita–Taveta County
The seat of the county government of Taita Taveta is at the small town of Wundanyi, though Voi is the largest town in the county.
| Sub-counties of Taita Taveta | |
| Subcounty | Population |
| Mwatate | 81,659 |
| Taveta | 91,222 |
| Voi | 111,831 |
| Wundanyi | 55,959 |
| Total | 340,671 |
Constituencies – Taita–Taveta County
The county has four constituencies:
List of Secondary Schools in Taita Taveta County
1. Dr.Aggrey High School – Boys Boarding – 1101101
2. Senior Chief Mwangeka Secondary School – Girls Boarding – 1101102
3. Mghalu High School – Mixed Day & Boarding – 1101103
4. Kiwinda Secondary School – Mixed Day – 1101104
5. St. Mary’s High School Lushangonyi – Boys Boarding – 1101201
6. Canon Kituri Secondary – Mixed Day & Boarding – 1101202
7. St. John’s Secondary School – Mixed Day – 1101203
8. Shimbo Secondary School – Mixed Day – 1101204
9. Dalmas Moka Secondary School – Mixed Day – 1101205
10. Mwakiwiwi Secondary School – Mixed Day – 1101206
11. Ngangao Secondary School – Mixed Day – 1101301
12. Kitumbi High School – Mixed Day & Boarding – 1101302
13. Funju Secondary School – Mixed Day – 1101303
14. Eldoro Girls High School – Girls Boarding – 1113101
15. Timbila Secondary School – Boys Day & Boarding – 1113102
16. Chala Secondary School – Mixed Day & Boarding – 1113103
17. Bishop John Njenga Secondary School – Mixed Day – 1113104
18. Murray Girls’ High School – Girls Boarding – 1114102
19. Mwandango Secondary School – Mixed Day & Boarding – 1114103
20. Mwambonu Secondary School – Mixed Day & Boarding – 1114104
21. Mwafuga Secondary School – Mixed Day – 1114107
22. Chawia High School – Mixed Day & Boarding – 1114108
23. Ngami Secondary – Mixed Day & Boarding – 1114202
24. Mwakitu Secondary School – Mixed Day – 1114204
25. Mwasere Girls’ Secondary School – Girls Boarding – 1114301
26. Mwanyambo Secondary School – Mixed Day & Boarding – 1114302
27. Mshimba Secondary School – Mixed Day & Boarding – 1114303
28. Munda Secondary School – Mixed Day & Boarding – 1114304
29. Alan Mjomba Secondary – Mixed Day & Boarding – 1114305
30. Voi Secondary School – Mixed Boarding -1115101
31. Mwangea Secondary School – Mixed Day – 1115102
32. Kajire Secondary School – Girls Day & Boarding – 1115103
33. Mwambiti Secondary School – Boys Day & Boarding – 1115104
34. Mwakichuchu Secondary School – Girls Day & Boarding – 1115105
35. Our Lady Perpetual Succour Girl Secondary School – Girls Boarding – 1115106
36. Mwakitawa Secondary School – Mixed Boarding – 1115201
37. Mwaghogho Secondary School – Mixed Boarding – 1115203
38. David Kayanda Secondary School – Mixed Day & Boarding – 1115204
39. Moi High School Kisigau – Mixed Day & Boarding – 1115301
40. Marungu Secondary School – Mixed Day – 1115302
