The town has a significant part of Tanga history as it was the battleground for the Battle of Jassin during WWI.

Prior to German colonization, the village of Jassini was home to the WaDigo who often fought with the Maasai.

The Germans, and later the British, introduced roads, schools, hospitals, and sisal plantations to the region.

In the 1930s, as reported by Hassan Tenga, a member of the village born in 1922, more than 200 households lived and worked on the territory.

[1] Villagers in Jassini grow maize, cassava, bananas, and sugar cane on household gardens.