This cisticola is known from the lower Tana River basin in eastern Kenya. The known record is limited to a small set of old specimens, and its behavior and diet remain largely unknown.
The specimen-based species account gives a length of about 13 cm, a creamy face, brown iris, dark bill paler at the base, and dull pink legs. Fine dark brown streaks mark the crown and back; the long rounded tail has a dark subterminal band and buff tips with black spots.
Records for the specimen sites mention dry thornbush on red sand and acacia along the Tana River. It is uncertain whether these were preferred habitats; diet and breeding behavior are unknown.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.