WW1: German widow sniper who killed British soldiers from a Baobab tree

The stretch of road from Taveta to Voi is laden with memorable World War I sites.

One of the sites near Taveta and close to Salaita Hill is the legendary "Sniper’s Baobab", an ancient tree pockmarked with World War I bullet holes.

Local wartime folklore claims it served as the lethal hiding spot for "Mama Sukurani", a German widow who allegedly used the tree's hollow trunk to ambush British troops.

A popular local folklore states that the woman sought revenge after her husband was killed by British forces in the East African Campaign during WWI, pitting the British and German soldiers in Taita Taveta County.

Historical records show that the war started in 1914, and the first shot that signified its spread to the region was fired at the Taveta District Commissioner’s office on August 15 of the same year. The war ended in 1918.

It is reported that the German woman scaled the massive, ancient baobab and used a natural hollow high up in the trunk as a concealed sniper nest with a clear view of approaching forces.

Reports indicate that British troops were so unnerved by the precise, unseen gunfire coming from the area near Salaita Hill that sergeants routinely warned their men to keep low because of the mythical sniper in the tree.

While historians debate whether "Mama Sukurani" was a real person or a composite wartime myth, the physical proof remains. The thick grey bark of the centuries-old baobab is heavily pockmarked with deep bullet scars left by British soldiers firing back at the tree, according to history.

Historians and researchers said Salaita Hill and the surrounding Taveta plains were major flashpoints where German Schutztruppe and British Empire forces clashed, making prominent landscape features like this giant baobab ideal natural lookouts or defensive posts.

Steve Braker, in his history book, titled The Battle of Salaita Hill – African History, says that below the hill is an old, wizened baobab tree; its grey bark is pockmarked with holes. It is known as the sniper tree, says the author.

Interestingly, the famous baobab tree and Saliata Hill, located at the sprawling Tsavo National Park, have not been developed for the benefit of the local community in areas of tourism and employment.

The hill has a rich history with the artefacts of WW1, including the Pegasus guns, which are now placed outside the Salt Lick Safari Lodge at the Bura location in the Mwatate sub-county.

The hill which had been fenced by former Taveta MP Basil Criticos as his private property was also the gateway to Taveta and Tanzania, then German East Africa. The area was occupied and made into a strong defensive position by the Germans in 1914.

History says the hill was attacked three times by the British, but they were beaten off with heavy losses twice, on March 29, 1915, when 300 troops were involved; and February 12, 1916, when 6,000 troops were repulsed by 1,200 Germans. The Germans were, however, beaten on March 8, 1916, marking the end of the First World War.

Interestingly, the 150-acre disputed hill has of late been at the centre of conflict between Mr Criticos and the local residents over its ownership.

Another important war site is the disused 127-kilometre Voi-Mwatate-Taveta railway line, which the government is now revitalising at the cost of Sh 55 billion. Additionally, the Kenya-Uganda railway line was also very strategic during the war.

The strategic importance of the railway lines meant that the fighting in Taita Taveta was intense and prolonged, as the region became a battleground where the ambitions of empires were played out at the expense of African lives and landscapes.

The railway itself, the Voi-Taveta line, was constructed under brutal conditions, with thousands of conscripted labourers dying from disease, malnutrition, and overwork, carrying food, ammunition, and artillery.

Meanwhile, the Maktau trading centre is still struggling with one of the oldest airstrips in East and Central Africa that played a significant role in the First World War.

The remote town situated along the Mwatate-Taveta international road played a central role during the First World War, pitting the British and Germans against each other in 1914-1916, but it has received little attention from the successive governments.

Its name (Maktau) was derived from the “mark time” parade for the British soldiers who had set up a military base in the area. It has been one of the strategic barracks for the British soldiers, but there is nothing to show for it in terms of development.

What many people do not know is that the first flight in East Africa was also assembled by the British in the town and later took off in support of the planned spring offensive against the forces defending German East Africa in Tanzania.

The history of the aviation industry in Africa probably started in the area but has received little attention from successive governments.

A villager Ngure Mganga, says the location is still in a sorry state despite playing a major role in the war.

Standing along the Voi-Mwatate-Taveta highway, the location is still struggling. Today, poverty and landlessness are evident in the location of residents. Hundreds of local youths have no jobs to make ends meet, and there is no investment to drive the local economy ahead,” the resident of the location noted.