Monduli District: History
The oldest site in Monduli district is the Engaruka historical site located in northwest of the district and was originally inhabited by the Iraqw peoples before they migrated south towards Karatu.
The word Monduli was originated in the ward Monduli Juu. There was a wealthy Maasai ancestor with the name of Monduli, who lived in the area during the times of German colonization. The Germans colonized the area (later Tanganyika, Rwanda and Burundi) in the 1880s. They brought forced labour and land alienation but also Christianity and European education, teaching science, math, engineering, and even German. Tanganyika gained its independence on December 9, 1961, under the leadership of Prime Minister Julius Nyerere. In April 1964 Tanganyika and Zanzibar, a former British protectorate, united to form Tanzania under President Nyerere.