History

History of Iringa Town

Iringa town stretches along a hilltop overlooking the Ruaha River to the South; to the North, the town spreads along ridges and valleys. The name Iringa originates from Hehe word “Lilinga” which means fortress.

The town was built during the 1890s by the German Army as a defensive base against the Hehe uprising led by Chief Mkwawa. The fortress and headquarters of Chief Mkwawa were situated in the nearby village of Kalenga. Today, there are still some surviving structures from these early German settlement including the original German Market, military station, hospital, along with many other colonial houses built prior to 1918.

Iringa Region in Brief

Iringa is one of the 30 administrative regions of Tanzania. The region borders Dodoma and Singida to the North, Mbeya to the West, Morogoro to the East and Ruvuma to the South. Lake Nyasa separates the Iringa Region from the country of Malawi to South-West of Tanzania. After separating Njombe, Makete and Ludewa, currently, Iringa region has the following administrative districts— Iringa Urban, Iringa rural, Kilolo and Mfindi.