Stock Photo - Voi Taveta Railway - Voi - Tavete Railway War was declared on Aug 5th and the farmers and settlers immediately formed volunteer bands to protect the Mombasa -Nairobi - Uganda railway which was the lifeline of Kenya & Ugands. On Aug 16th German Schutztruppe under Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck invaded Taveta from German East Africa and advanced to Salaita Hill on the road to Voi and from here on Dec 5th he attacked Tsavo Bridge.The British were based at Maktau, 50 kms to the east. Supplies, especially water, were of major importance so in Feb 1915 the British began to build a railway from Voi to Maktau to enable a large camp to be established and on Sept 3rd a skirmish north of Maktau led to the award of the V.C. to Lt W T Dartnell who is buried in Voi. On 12th Feb 1916 the South Africans suffered 138 dead in a failed frontal assault on Salaita Hill which the Germans subsequently abandoned in favour of hills to the north of Taveta.