Bena residing in this area performed religious rituals at that tree leading to the whole forest being referred to as Makhambako.

There are few trees found in Miti ya Makhambako Street in Ubena Ward, which are protected for history of the name of the town.

All these led to the influx of workers from different parts of Tanzania as a well as people from nearby villages to trade in the area.

Makambako is now a town, located in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania, approximately 60 kilometers north of the district capital of Njombe.

The town of Makambako contains the settlements of Ikwete, Maguvani, Ubena, Kipagamo, Idofi, Mlowa, Mkolango, Lyamkena, Kiumba, Mwembetogwa, Mjimwema, Kitisi, Kivavi and Kilimahewa.

Female headed households are more dependent on subsistence food, operating as "street vendors" or with mobile fast-food kitchens.

There is also a significant number of people from other regions who came to work as Soldiers, Police officers and Railway workers who have established permanent settlement in the town.

The native tribe of this area are Bena who are at adjacent to the Iringa Region where Hehe is spoken hence many residents speak Kisovi a variation of Kibena[12] which some vocabulary and pronunciation resemble that of Hehe counterparts There are several educational institutions in Makambako including primary schools, secondary schools and one university.

Lyamkena Dispensary where during COVID-19 Outbreak there was quarantine facilities provided there though no patient was reported Religious Health Institutions Saint Joseph Hospital Ikelu: This is found in Ikelu, Iliunda, Makambako Town along the Dar es Salaam - Songea Road.

[19] The Italian organization, ABB-SAE Sadelmi has erected high-tension power lines and worked on the rehabilitation of the National Grid between Makambako and Mbeya.