This species is widely distributed in East Africa and eastern parts of Central Africa. It ranges from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, into Rwanda and Burundi, northern Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, throughout much of Ethiopia to northwestern Somalia. Populations allocated to Tachyoryctes splendens were formerly recorded as occurring throughout most of Ethiopia and into northern Somalia, from 700 to 3,300 m asl. Populations formerly recognised as Tachyoryctes ankoliae are known from the Ankola region of southwestern Uganda (from 1,480 to 1,650 m asl). Animals previously allocated to Tachyoryctes annectens are known only from the type locality; "Maasai land or inland" in Kenya. Thomas (1891) refered specimens from Mianzini as the type locality; Mianzini is just east of Lake Naivashae. Populations formerly recognised as Tachyoryctes audax are limited to the Abadare Mountains of Kenya, from 2,700 to 3,800 m asl. Populations formerly recognised as Tachyoryctes daemon are known from northern, northwestern and northeastern Tanzania and south central Kenya at elevations of between 1,130 and 3,000 m asl. The populations formerly recognised as Tachyoryctes ibeanus occur in the Nairobi-Machakos region of south-central Kenya, from 1,400 to 1,600 m asl. Populations formerly allocated to Tachyoryctes naivashae occur from the Mau summit, south to Kijabe, and west to Loita plains, in south-central Kenya between 2,080 and 2,830 m asl. Animals previously allocated to Tachyoryctes rex are known from Mount Kenya and the Meru mountains, of Kenya, from 2,700 to 3,300 m asl. Populations formerly allocated to Tachyoryctes ruandae occur in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi; It has been recorded from 1,200 to 3,300 m asl. Populations formerly allocated to Tachyoryctes ruddi occur in western Kenya and southeastern Uganda from 1,300 to 3,000 m asl. Animals formerly recognised as Tachyoryctes spalacinus are known from the valley between the Abadare mountains and Mount Kenya, and from around the south of Mount Kenya, of Kenya from 1,300 to 1,500 m asl. The population formerly recognised as Tachyoryctes storeyi is known only from the type locality, Lake Elementeita in south central Kenya, at around 1,500 m asl.