Taita-Taveta County is located in southeastern Kenya, spanning from the Taita Hills to the coastal hinterland and lowland plains. The county was created as an administrative unit during Kenya's devolution process in 2013, bringing together the Taita and other communities under one county government.
Geography and Territory
The county covers approximately 17,000 square kilometers, encompassing the Taita Hills, the vast Tsavo ecosystem (both East and West parks), and extensive lowland plains. The terrain ranges from highland hills to semi-arid lowlands, with elevations spanning from sea-level equivalent in the lowlands to over 2,200 meters in the hills.
Major Urban Centers
Voi Town is the largest urban center in the county, located on the Mombasa-Nairobi highway and the standard gauge railway line. Voi functions as a regional commercial hub and transport node, connecting the Taita Hills to coastal and inland routes.
Wundanyi serves as the county headquarters and is located within the Taita Hills themselves, making it the administrative center for county government operations.
Population and Communities
The county is home primarily to Taita speakers in the highlands and also includes Kamba, Swahili, and other communities in the lowlands. The population is estimated at approximately 350,000, with the Taita forming the majority in the highlands.
Economy
The economy is based on agriculture in the hills (maize, beans, fruit, and other crops), pastoralism and agriculture in the lowlands, tourism related to the Tsavo parks, and commerce along the Mombasa-Nairobi corridor.
See Also
Sources
- Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. "County Statistical Abstracts 2019". Government of Kenya, 2019. https://www.knbs.or.ke/
- Taita-Taveta County Government. "County Integrated Development Plan 2022-2027". https://taitataveta.go.ke/
- Mosley, Paul. "The Settler Economies of Kenya and Southern Rhodesia, 1900-1963". Oxford University Press, 1983. https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/