Tsavo Cultural Festival
Culture and heritage
UNESCO-inscribed Mwazindika dance of the Dawida community and the Uruasi dance of the Taveta community, indigenous traditions and arts, storytelling, cuisine, crafts, cultural attire, battlefield interpretation and guided heritage tours.
The Tsavo Cultural Festival puts the living culture and the history of Taita Taveta side by side: the dances and traditions that communities have carried for generations, and the battlefields of the East African Campaign that shaped the Tsavo landscape.
Living traditions: Mwazindika and Uruasi
The UNESCO-inscribed Mwazindika dance of the Dawida community and the Uruasi dance of the Taveta community take the stage, alongside other traditional performances and drumming from across the county.
Indigenous arts, storytelling, cuisine, crafts and attire
Indigenous traditions and arts, storytelling, local cuisine, handmade crafts and cultural attire are shown across the festival and in the exhibition booths, and the closing night includes the Taita and Taveta attire fashion show.
Battlefield interpretation
The sites of the East African Campaign are explained on the ground: Mile 27 on the Voi-Maktau Railway, Cherenge Hill and Maktau Hill, the water tanks and airfield in Maktau, Mahoo Church in Taveta, Njoro Kubwa Springs, Salaita Hill, the Sniper Baobab and Grogan Castle.
Guided heritage tours
On Saturday 10 October the Battlefield Guided Tour runs from an early breakfast and the history of the battlefield through the sites above, then continues with guided game viewing and a drive to historical sites in Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks, in collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service.