Taita Goat Theft Suspect Lynched

A suspected thief in Taita Taveta county was lynched by villagers in Mbololo on Sunday. They caught him with goat meat which they said was from a goat he had stolen from his neighbour. The man was identified by police as 35-year-old Boniface Ngao. The villagers claim that Ngao was a notorious thief who had been terrorising the village for a long time. Those who nabbed him with the meat alerted other villagers who came out armed with pangas and other crude weapons and attacked the suspect. "He was beaten thoroughly and they also attacked him with stones and was bleeding profusely when we arrived," said a witness

Contractor in Voi told to hire Taita youths

A Parliamentary committee has ordered the Voi-Mwatate road contractor to employ youths from Taita Taveta county. Taita Taveta locals and leaders had earlier raised concerns that the Kundan Singh company had refused to employ local youths in the road construction work and was instead importing labour from outside the county. Civil society groups had also threatened to paralyse the companies operations if the company did not give jobs to the locals.

Sonko tells Taita Taveta youth to go for posts

Makadara MP Gideon Mbuvi alias Sonko has challenged the youth in Taita Taveta county to vie for political leadership. Mbuvi said at the weekend that he is ready to sponsor any who is willing to take over the challenge. Speaking at a funds drive in Voi to aid a youth recently involved in a car accident, Mbuvi challenged the youth to stop fearing taking power from the old guards saying time for the youth to lead has come. "Our time as the youth of this nation to take over leadership and change the leadership style has come.

Taveta aspirant urges State to resolve land disputes BY RAPHAEL MWADIME

An aspirant seeking the Taita-Taveta governorship yesterday called on the government to make sure the land issue in the area is solved amicably. Richard Tairo, who is eyeing the governor's seat said land has remained a thorny issue since it is politicized by some leaders. He said such leaders have ensured that genuine squatters are always left out in resettlement programmes.

Tribute to legendary singer Habel Kifoto by John Kariuki

Back in the mid-1990s, I was in Johannesburg doing an errand for a Kenyan producer who had requested me to deliver a batch of recordings to contacts in South Africa hoping to find distribution networks in that country. The music was the emerging Nairobi urban pop with a strong American influence but I had also carried others of older music of the late 1970s and 1980s as presents for friends in South Africa.
The all important contact was Peter Tladi, then director at the CCP-EMI record company, one of SA’s biggest record companies. So a listening session was arranged.

Becoming a mother all over again at 63

A good turn deserves another.

Little Moses Annan (centre) is all smiles after his foster mother Josephine Mwakazi (second left) received the Jubilee Insurance Samaritan Award from Jubilee Holdings chairman Nizar Juma (right). Others are Mr Patrick Tumbo, Jubilee Insurance Kenya CEO and Star editor Catherine Gicheru, a JISA panel judge.  

And for the unconditional love and care she accorded an abandoned child, Josephine Mwakazi this week won a humanitarian award. The 63-year-old mother of six did not think twice upon seeing an infant abandoned in her Mwakingali estate near Tsavo West National Park. She took the infant in, even as neighbours gossiped that at her age, her aim was to solicit funds from donors. All she wanted was to give the baby a life. Abandoned by his biological mother minutes after birth at the estate in Voi town, Taita-Taveta County, little Annan, became an angel that brought a smile to Josephine’s face in her golden years.

Letters to TT County - Waisanga mwamanya? From Lenjo Lombo

In a discussion with a group of Taita men and women under the auspices of Mwanda Welfare Association, a few issues that impact the WaDAWIDA did come up.

The process of implementing the new constitution has many challenges as well as opportunities that may well pass us by if we the WaDAWIDA do not wake up and seize the chance to both participate

Hunters Turned Animal Lovers: The Inspiring Story Of Taita Residents

The Chinese concept of Yin Yang prescribes how seemingly opposite or rival forces survive by complementing each other. The philosophy propagates that good and evil cannot survive independently. One has to be around for the other to survive.

Mother of boy hit by KWS van appeals for help

The family of a 10-year-old boy injured when he was hit by a Kenya Wildlife Services vehicle in Taita Taveta last month have appealed for help to settle his Sh7,000 hospital bill. Julius Mwamburi and his younger brother were injured when they were hit by the KWS vehicle at Maungu and were both taken to Moi Hospital in Voi. 

Julius Mwanjewe Mwamburi jailed for 30 years for defiling daughter

A man has been sent to jail for 30 years for repeatedly defiling and impregnating his 13-year-old step-daughter in Taita Taveta. Julius Mwanjewe Mwamburi appeared before the Wundanyi resident magistrate K.I.Orenge who found him guilty of the offense.

Kenyatta High School Taita - plea by Gideon Kidegho

Wapwani hamjambo? 

 

 Last weekend I attended an AGM at the famous Kenyatta High School Mwatate. The school is a shadow of its old self. The performance good but could be made better. 

 

What struck my attention is the way the school looked old with the wall paint faded and the sorrounding looking verywanting. During the meeting I kept asking my self whether the old boys ever came back to see their old school. 

Taita Taveta Residents Languish In Poverty Amid Vast Mineral Deposits

Taita Taveta County is endowed with vast mineral resources but locals are yet to realise any benefits from the abundant resources in their midst. The county is home to over 40 high value gemstones.


Some of the gemstones found in the area include Tsavorite, red and green garnets, ruby, change colour, blue sapphire, pink sapphire, green tourmalines, yellow tourmalines, rhodolites and kyanites.


According to geological experts,

Where were the IDPs living Before PEV?

THE government is wasting  tax payers' money buying land for the resettlement of IDPs, an MP from Taita has said. Wundanyi MP Thomas Mwadeghu said normalcy had returned in the country and people displaced by the post-election violence should return to their homes.

Taita Professionals blocking Multi Billion Iron Project in the County

Taita Taveta County Council Chairman Laban Tole has disagreed with a section of Taita professionals opposed to the construction of a multi-billion iron ore plant by the Devki Steel Company in the area.


He said the professionals had made it a habit to undermine

Justice Mbogholi is a frontrunner for CJ position

Whether or not he is appointed to the position of Chief Justice, for which he has applied, Justice Amraphael Mbogholi Msagha has already derived a personal benefit from the new Constitution.

On October 8, 2010, he was elected by the judges of the High Court to the position of principal judge, a post created by the new Constitution.


The principal judge is the head of the High Court.

The new Constitution also establishes equivalent leadership

Group in Mwatate turning away NGO trying to help to address water crisis‏

I run a non profit organization called Amsha Africa Foundation (www.amshaafrica.org) that helps impoverished communities lift themselves out of poverty by funding sustainable projects.

I'm writing this email because I  believe this may be a good story to cover in your daily news since many non profit organizations (NGO's) that my organization has partnered with that have good intentions are getting frustrated and giving up working with rural communities in Kenya because of corruption, intimidation, vandalism, and just

Bara Bara za Taita

Its Official, Mwatate will be Taita Taveta County Headquarters

Representatives of Taita Taveta County voted Mwatate as the headquarters of the newly created county. Mwatate beat the only other contender, Voi by 3 votes to 1 after all the constituencies were given one vote to decide the location of the county headquarters.

Taita-Taveta: Home of spectacular sceneries

Taita-Taveta County comprises five constituencies namely, Wundanyi, Mwatate, Voi and Taveta.
It boasts of the expansive and world-renowned Tsavo National Park and the picturesque Taita hills—both spectacular tourist attractions in the coastal region.
Other attraction sites include Lakes Challa and Jipe that straddle the Kenya-Tanzania border, and Mzima Springs.
Commercial activities include agriculture, fishing, dairying, ranching, mining, bee keeping, and large-scale sisal farming.

Elders say no to new home for IDPs

Tension is building up in Taita and Taveta districts over land row involving the government and residents, with youths planning to invade a farm allegedly bought to resettle people displaced in the 2007-2008 election violence.

Several meetings were held in Taita and Taveta to

Leaders oppose Government’s plan to resettle IDPs in Taveta

Leaders in Taita-Taveta have vowed not to allow the Government to resettle internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the district.

The leaders, who included former legislators, elders, youth and women leaders, said the land on which the Government plans to resettle the IDPs should instead be allocated to landless residents in the region.

Led by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) national chairman

Firm ready to explain iron ore mining deal

A mining company management is ready to answer questions how it obtained a licence to extract iron ore in Taita-Taveta county.

Wanjala Mining Company CEO Mahmood Kassim said they followed all procedures to obtain the consent. Mr Kassim said he was ready to present the documents for verification.

Poverty-stricken villagers sitting on ‘gold’

After enduring years of grinding poverty, residents of Taita Taveta County are now looking forward to a better life, thanks to the discovery of rich deposits of minerals.

The region, which has for years been known only for sisal farming has vast deposits of minerals spread across its expansive plains and scenic hills.

Among these minerals are iron ore which is predominantly found in

Taita Taveta People Speak

Through our popular Facebook page, 'Taita Taveta County', we asked our people what problem really ails our region despite it being so rich in minerals. To be exact, we asked the following question, "Why is it that a region rich in natural resources like ours still has people languishing in abject poverty?" Many responded and below are some of the answers. Feel free to continue

Going back in time narrated by Rupi Mangat

On 12 February 1916, a bloody battle ensued between the Brits and the Germans where we stand now at the base of Salaita Hill on the plains of Tsavo.

The reason was that it was World War 1 and Britain had declared war on Germany and hence as a sense of loyalty, the colonial government in Kenya declared that the British Protectorate would wage a war against their German neighbours in Tanzania.The Germans then

Who will put Taita's History on the Map?

John Mkaya notes that history as currently taught in schools is biased towards some regions. Says he, "Independence struggle was not about freedom for this nation but some selfish gains for some communities! Mwangeka is a true Taita Legend. No doubt about that. Our Taita legal experts need to raise a case against the British government at to the whereabout of Mwangeka remains." He concludes by saying that Mwangeka deserves a decent burial in the land he died fighting for.

But Godfrey, who comes from Taita confesses that he knew nothing about Mwangeka

Felix Mwawasi's take on the Taita Hero, Mwangeka wa Malowa

The piece on Mwangeka wa Malowa is wonderful narration there about our Taita Legendary hero! Many stories abound about this man, in fact, legends have been told about him already. I have always wanted information about this hero: where did the British take his body? Can we claim his remains from the British government today?

I always say that the history taught in our Kenyan schools today is, to a great extent,