Taveta Military Cemetery
- Country Kenya
- Total identified casualties 183 Find these casualties
- Identified casualties from First World War
- GPS Coordinates Latitude: -3.39591, Longitude: 37.67633
Location information
Taveta is a small town on the Tanzanian border, 124 kilometres west of Voi on the road to Moshi. The Military Cemetery is on the western side of the town, within sight of the border post and next to the DC's office. The cemetery is almost square, set back slightly from the road and surrounded by a 4 foot paling fence. The cemetery is laid to gravel over concrete with scattered drought tolerant shrubs.
Visiting information
ARRIVAL
The cemetery is signposted.
PARKING
There are open areas of compacted earth, soil and sand to the front and side of the cemetery, where it is possible for vehicles to park.
Alternatively, it may be possible to park close to the town law courts, next to the cemetery.
ACCESS, LAYOUT AND MAIN ENTRANCE
The cemetery is a rectangular shape.
The cemetery is enclosed by a tall (over 1.80 metres high) green metal security fence.
The main entrance gate is 3 metres wide, with two sections opening into the burial plot. There is a metal gate stop in the centre of the entrance opening.
The internal area of the cemetery is flat and firm, the top surface is a mixture of loose gravel and aggregate.
The Cross of Sacrifice is in the centre of the cemetery on a raised area surrounded by stone kerbing and infilled with gravel.
There is no Register Box in the cemetery.
There is a seating area with a green concrete bench on the right side of the cemetery.
ALTERNATIVE ACCESS
The only access into the cemetery is through the main entrance.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The cemetery is open during working hours, Monday to Friday 0600 hrs to 1800 hrs.
Outside of the working hours, the cemetery gates are closed and padlocked.
For access to the cemetery and gate/padlock code, visitors should call: CWGC (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) Kenya Office on 00254 20260 4301.
Opening Hours are Monday to Friday 0830 hrs to 1230 hrs and 1330 hrs to 1630hrs – the offices are closed at weekends.
History information
The cemetery was used in March and April, 1916, after the capture of Latema Nek; but after the Armistice 137 graves were brought in. Taveta was occupied by German forces on the 15th August, 1914, retaken by the 130th Baluchis in March, 1916, and occupied by an Indian Field Ambulance.
The more important burial grounds now represented at Taveta were those at Salaita Hill, Serengeti and Mbuyuni and Taveta German Hospital Cemetery; Mbuyuni was a hospital centre, but the other three burial grounds are connected with the German victory at Salaita Hill on the 12th February, 1916, and the British capture of that position on the following 9th March.
There are 188 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-1918 war including 9 unidentified.