Villagers talk excitedly about the ancient cave as they recall and savour its long and eventful history. It is believed to have been one of the hideouts used by Mzee Jomo Kenyatta at the height of the struggle for independence.

Mzee Kenyatta and his colleagues sought refuge here to avoid arrest, and used Kino Cave as a base to conduct the war against the colonialists. The need to have it documented as a historical monument was raised recently during a public hearing organised by the Task Force on Criteria and Modalities of Honouring National Heroes and Heroines chaired by Prof. Vincent Simiyu.

The Kino Cave stands poignantly on one of the highest peaks of the idyllic and picturesque Taita Hills. The Hills are home to several holy shrines of the Wataita, some of them hidden in a labyrinth of caves. Despite the impressive history, there is nothing to show for these important facilities. Once a beehive of activity, the large cave has been abandoned and neglected. It is now a study in desolation and dereliction. It has been encroached upon and the once lush green vegetation around it has been cleared by the locals for farming.

Besides Kenyatta, other celebrated freedom heroes who frequented the cave to avoid arrest and strategise on how to wrest power from the colonialists between 1950s and 1960s were the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Tom Mboya, Achieng Oneko, Bildad Kagia and Mbiyu Koinange.

Kenyatta and his colleagues would hide and sleep in the caves for fear of being arrested by the colonialists. They would light a fire at night and roast cassava, sweet potatoes and other indigenous foods to supplement the little rations they got from their hosts.

Three women would cook and serve indigenous food to the heroes. Earthen pots and other utensils that were used to cook for the freedom fighters were reportedly taken away from the cave and preserved at the Kenya National Museums of Kenya in Mombasa. Kenyatta and his friends used to sleep on dried banana leaves and sometimes they would take night walks where they were able to mingle with people.

It is said that at the cave, traditional medicine men would mix charms and give to the goat earmarked for slaughter. After slaughtering the animal, the medicine man would examine its intestines and release predictive results to the heroes.