The Kibosho Kingdom was ruled by Mangi Sina while the conflict was between the German Empire, commanded by Major Hermann von Wissman.

The majority of the breech-loading rifles carried by Mandara's troops were Snipers, but they didn't want to engage in combat; instead, they planned to use their local knowledge to follow and seize the victory.

They were divided into impromptu groups of undetermined size, each headed by a local chief carrying a German flag, and given white armbands to help them stand out from the enemy.

[5] These had been constructed piecemeal over many years, and the lack of a clear strategy greatly strengthened the fortifications since any outsider would unavoidably become lost in the maze.

Since the entire region was densely overgrown with banana trees and the walls could hardly be seen at all from a distance, it was even impossible to observe the fort and organize an assault from outside.

In order to start "a lively fire," the Kibosho warriors dug deep ditches along the crest and cleared all the vegetation from one hill.

[5] However, this was merely a weakly held outpost; as soon as the leading askari unit started returning fire, the defenders fled the area and vanished into the woods.

Even though they had been forced from their positions, the other Kibosho fighters were not defeated; instead, they started to reorganize behind the fortifications that surrounded the square and opened fire on the Germans from all sides.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent being harassed by Kibosho snipers who crept up to close range, fired, and then fled before the defenders could respond.

[5] This activity ceased by the time darkness fell, but at midnight Wissmann gave the Maxim the command to fire a string of bursts in the direction of the boma.

The Sudanese successfully repelled a haphazard ambush as the Germans headed back to Moshi after rounding up hundreds of animals and all the weaponry they could find.