Turkana District

Turkana District
Former district
District location in Kenya
District location in Kenya
Coordinates: 03°07′31″N 35°35′23″E / 3.12528°N 35.58972°E / 3.12528; 35.58972
Country Kenya
CapitalLodwar
Elevation
1,138 m (3,734 ft)
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)

The Turkana District was an administrative district in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. Turkana was the northwesternmost district in Kenya. It is bordered by the countries of Uganda to the west; South Sudan and Ethiopia, including the disputed Ilemi Triangle, to the north and northeast; and Lake Turkana to the east. To the south and east, neighbouring districts in Kenya are West Pokot, Baringo and Samburu districts, while Marsabit District is located on the opposite (i.e. eastern) shore of Lake Turkana.

The entire Turkana district was hived off the Uganda Protectorate twice: the southern section in 1902 and the northern region in 1926. In 2013, Turkana County was formally established on the same boundaries as the district.

History[edit]

Four sites of Stone Age cultures are situated upon tributaries along the west side of Lake Turkana in West Turkana; at Lokalalei, Kokiselei and Nadung, and became of interest to archaeology beginning sometime during 1988.[1][2][3]

The earliest late Stone age industries date to 12,000 b.p.[4]

Direct influence by colonial forces, in the form of pacification within the district began in 1900 and ended in 1918.[5]

During 1926 the entire Turkana people were subjugated to a body of the British military who subsequently restricted their movements to an area of Kenya, forcing these to settle in the area known now as the Turkana district.[6][7]

During 1958 the district experienced an influx of a number of people classified as belonging to the Turkana people expelled from the Kenyan settlement Isiolo town to be forcibly relocated to the Turkana district by persons of the then British colonial administration.[8]

The district maintained an all but complete isolation from influences of any other countries peoples until the time during 1976 when road-blocks on entering the district were ceased.[9]

The people of the north of the district were reported (2000) endangered by marauding Ethiopians and consequently forced to settle in southerly locations.[10]

Language[edit]

The land is known in the Kenyan language as Aturksven.[11]

Some place names in the country are attributed to the language of the Pokot and Samburu peoples, representing a tradition in the area of inhabitation by these peoples prior to displacement by the Turkana.[12]

Geography[edit]

The district was within the boundaries of the former Rift Valley province.[13]

According to data provided during 1991 the majority of the population at that time lived by way of farming.[14]

With an area of nearly 77,000 km², Turkana is the largest district in Kenya. Its capital town is Lodwar. The district has a population of 450,860 (1999 census).[15]


Kekarongole and Katilu had irrigation networks made commencing sometime during or after 1975.[16]

Rainfall measurements per annum (1982 data) is recorded as less than ten inches; with a range of between 115mm and 650mm.[17][18]

There were thirteen drought periods in a period of 50 years beginning 1938.[19]

Economics[edit]

On 26 March 2012, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki announced that oil had been discovered in the Turkana District after exploratory drilling by Anglo-Irish firm Tullow Oil, and he further stated that

It is... the beginning of a long journey to make our country an oil producer, which typically takes in excess of three years. We shall be giving the nation more information as the oil exploration process continues.[20]

Gold panning was reported (2005) as occurring at Lochoremoit, Namoruputh and Ng,akoriyiek.[21]

According to Barrett (2001) cited in Watson the wealth of a person is kept in the form of cattle.[22]

Figures stated as of 1998 stated an average estimated herd size of 15–20.[23]

District subdivisions[edit]

Local authorities (councils)
Authority Type Population* Urban pop.*
Lodwar Municipality 35,897 16,981
Turkana County 414,963 26,563
Total – 450,860 43,544
* 1999 census. Source: [1]
Administrative divisions
Division Population* Population
density 		Headquarters
Central 35,919 45 Lodwar
Kaaling 24,053 3
Kainuk 11,799 7
Kakuma 97,114 26 Kakuma
Kalokol 28,735 5 Kalokol
Katilu 12,548 10
Kerio 15,409 6
Kibish 6,056 –
Lapur 12,780 6
Lokichar 21,791 5 Lokichar
Lokichogio 36,187 5 Lokichogio
Lokitaung 22,586 12 Lokitaung
Loima 33,979 10
Lokori 17,915 3
Lomelo 6,088 1 Kapedo
Oropol 18,020 3 Oropol
Turkwel 49,881 9
Total 450,860 7 (average) –
* 1999 census. Sources: [2]

The district had three constituencies:

References[edit]

  1. ^ B S Blades, B Adams – Lithic Materials and Paleolithic Societies John Wiley & Sons, 12 May 2009 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 1405168374
  2. ^ C R Ewen -Artifacts Rowman Altamira, 1 Apr 2003 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 0759100225
  3. ^ (secondary) D Waugh – Geography: An Integrated Approach ISBN 017444706X Retrieved 1994
  4. ^ C Ehret, M Posnansky – The Archaeological and Linguistic Reconstruction of African History University of California Press, 1982 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 0520045939
  5. ^ T G Grenham – The Unknown God: Religious And Theological Interculturation Peter Lang, 2005 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 3039102613
  6. ^ S Williams – Ian Hodder (ed) – The Archaeology of Contextual Meanings Cambridge University Press, 6 Aug 1987 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 0521329248
  7. ^ Merriam-Webster dictionary online
  8. ^ V Broch-Due, R A Schroeder – Producing Nature and Poverty in Africa Nordic Africa Institute, 2000 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 9171064524
  9. ^ D McNeill, S D Duncan, J Cassell, E T Levy – Gesture and the Dynamic Dimension of Language: Essays in Honor of David McNeill John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2007 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 9027228418
  10. ^ Traditional Occupations of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples: Emerging Trends International Labour Organization, 2000 Retrieved 2012-07-08
  11. ^ P. H. Gulliver – The Family Herds: A Study of Two Pastoral Tribes in East Africa, the Jie and Turkana Routledge, 31 Jan 2003 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 0415176468
  12. ^ NC Dorian – Investigating Obsolescence: Studies in Language Contraction and Death Cambridge University Press, 3 Sep 1992 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 0521437571
  13. ^ N Middleton, P O'Keefe – Disaster And Development: The Politics of Humanitarian Aid Pluto Press, 20 Nov 1997 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 0745312241
  14. ^ W Critchley – Looking After Our Land: Soil and Water Conservation in Dryland Africa p.45- Oxfam, 1991 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 0855981709
  15. ^ Districts of Kenya at Statoids
  16. ^ B Calas, CA Mumma Martinon – Shared Waters, Shared Opportunities: Hydropolitics in East Africa African Books Collective, 30 Nov 2010 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 9987080928
  17. ^ C Ehret, M Posnansky -
  18. ^ W Critchley
  19. ^ S Boinski, P A Garber – On the Move: How and Why Animals Travel in Groups University of Chicago Press, 15 May 2000 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 0226063399
  20. ^ "Kenya oil discovery after Tullow Oil drilling". BBC. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  21. ^ Watson, D.J., Binsbergen, J. van – Review of VSF-Belgium's 'Turkana emergency livestock off-take' intervention 2005 ILRI (aka ILCA and ILRAD), 2008 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 9291462098
  22. ^ Watson, D.J. – Community farmer field school animal health facilitators: hybridizing private animal health care and capacity building in remote pastoralist areas ILRI (aka ILCA and ILRAD) Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 9291462276
  23. ^ P Bonnet – Dromadaires et chameaux, animaux laitiers / Dromedaries and Camels, Milking Animals Editions Quae, 1 Jan 1998 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 2876143070

External links[edit]

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