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Physical Description
The lamu Archipelago is a small group of Island situated on Kenya´s Northen Coast line, near Somali. It is made up of Lamu, Manda, pate and Kiwayuu islands. Lamu town is the headquarter of Lamu District, one of the six districts of Kenya´s Coast Province, which boarders the Indian Ocean to the east, the Tana River District to the South-West, the Garissa District to the North and the republic of somali to the North-East.
The County has a land surface area of 6,474.7 Km2 that includes the mainland and over 65 Islands that forms the Lamu Archipelago. The total length of the coastline is 130 km while land water mass area stands at 308km The streets of Lamu are nowhere more than eight feet wide. The proximity of the high stone walls cools the air and means that the streets are always in shadow.
An unforeseen benefit of their narrowness means that there are no motor vehicles in Lamu; all transport is by handcarts and donkeys. There are over 160 historic houses clustered in Stone Town, all built to the same traditional design, with a central courtyard surrounded by long narrow galleries and a flat open roof, sometimes shaded by a palm- frond thatch shelter.
Most of the houses have ornate carved wooden doors and, inside, walls of elaborate carved-plaster niches that have to be seen to be believed
Political and Administrative Boundaries
Politically Lamu is divided into two Constituencies: Lamu East and Lamu West. Each constituency is represented by an elected Member of Parliament, who is elected after every five years. Lamu is devolved into a County Government, headed by a Governor. The County has TEN County wards, which are represented in the County Assembly. The County wards are as follows:
Since the 19th century Lamu has been regarded as an important religious centre in East Africa. Every year thousands of Muslims from all over East Africa flock here for the famous Maulidi celebrations that are held during the third month of the muslim calendar to mark the birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). During the celebrations, a number of entertaining events such as dhow races, a donkey race, bao games, henna painting, kofia making, swimming competitions and a football match are organized by the locals.
Another festival is the recently created Lamu Cultural Festival dedicated to celebrating and preserving the culture of the Lamu Archipelago. The Festival is timed each year to coincide with high tides that create ideal conditions for the large jahazi and smaller mashua dhows to take part in a series of races, amongst other competitions and displays of traditional dance.
This is an annual three days festivity where visitors are entertained with traditional dances from Pate, siyu, Bajun from mainland and Lamu. Also various traditional craft skills are displayed.
Economical Background
Fishing and tourism has been the most important economic activity for Lamu. Mangrove export, commerce, traditional maritime activities, traditional woodcarving have provided a stable economic base for the growth of the town. Other economic activities include handicrafts such as making of kofias (traditional embroidery swahili hat), agriculture and carpentry.
Lamu World Heritage Site
Lamu Old Town was inscribed as a world heritage site by UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre in December 2001. UNESCO described it as:
‘The oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in east Africa, retaining its traditional functions. Built in coral stone and mangrove timber, the town is characterized by the simplicity of structural forms enriched by such features as inner courtyard, verandas and elaborated carved wooden doors’ Dating back to at least the 12th century, Lamu is the oldest surviving Swahili town in East Africa and the only coastal settlement to retain its original character.
Like other towns on the coast, Lamu is said to have been founded by immigrants from the Arabian and Persian regions who intermarried with the local people, creating a unique race known as Swahili.
Places to Visit:
Lamu is a dominant cultural centre reputable for its historic past and traditional socio-cultural traditions. As such visitors to Lamu can enjoy a large and diverse collection of heritage and cultural attractions. At the district level, Lamu has the remains of many heritage sites. Major sites include:-
Others include:-
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Banking and Finance Lamu has had an exponential growth in the opening of new banking institutions in the County, with three new banks opening up in Lamu Island within one year alone. Financing is expected to play a major role in Lamu as the demand for microfinance and loan packages increase in the region. Local and international companies, individuals, and organisations continually seek for competitive financing rates as the County opens up for international and regional trade through the northern transport corridor.
Governor Issa Timamy is a lawyer by profession. Prior to his election as the Governor of Lamu, he served as the chairman of the National Museums of Kenya. He was elected on a UDF party ticket.
Timamy first practiced law as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya- admitted on 15th October,1984. He is a member of Law Society of Kenya. He is also a member of Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya. He worked as legal assistant at Kaplan & Stratton, Advocates. He also worked at Group Company Secretary Sameer Investments Limited.
Timamy graduated from University of Nairobi in 1983 and Kenya School of Law in 1984.
Lamu County holds some of the richest natural sources in Kenya such as marine, forests, and wildlife. These abundant resources accompanied by a unique culture and one of the oldest sites and monuments in the region has put Lamu on the world map as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This makes Lamu an optimal tourism destination and provides ample investment opportunities. As we commence a new leadership and direction for the county through devolution, these resources present us with vast opportunities which we aim to fully capitalize on. Since the region has remained remote and underdeveloped for decades, there is a wide space available for innovation. From infrastructure to population services, our government is able to creatively develop Lamu by having a blank template for ideas.
To tap into the resources present in our county, my Government has prioritized the provision of quality health and education, economic empowerment; improving access to water; strengthening of infrastructure, fostering sustainable local livelihoods such as fishing, livestock keeping and agriculture; improving sanitation; preserving heritage and developing the tourism industry; and promoting peace, harmony and coexistence in the county. The lack of essential services and poor infrastructure has long stagnated the economy in the county. We therefore have made the provision of these services a priority and wish to offer the opportunity to investors interested in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements for the provision of the same.
With a large population of unemployed youth, there is a ready workforce in Lamu that are bound to contribute to and benefit from industrial development. While Lamu currently has less than five kilometers of tarmac road, we anticipate that with the construction of the Lamu Port, South- Sudan Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor, Lamu will have a major transformation. The project will provide modern transport infrastructure including a port, roads, railway lines and an international airport which will undoubtedly provide a suitable business environment for our county. Lamu has also recently been identified as a potential source of wind and gas energy. This sector provides a unique opportunity for Lamu to redefine itself as the hub of the north coast of Kenya. As we await LAPSSET, the County government of Lamu has taken upon itself the duty of identifying investors to improve the existing Malindi-Lamu road to ease transportation difficulties for the people of Lamu.
With the new infrastructure, we expect emerging opportunities in local, regional and international trade. To facilitate this, the county will establish policies that attract investors and encourage both import and export business within Eastern Africa and international markets. Considering that a majority of Lamu residents are dependent on nature-based industries such as fishing, farming, hunting and gathering, and pastoralism, we aim to work closely with the national government and investors to ensure that while investments are promoted in Lamu, nature-based industries are also protected and promoted. To do that, experts and companies that are able to provide eco-friendly and sustainable solutions such as mitigation planning, green energy, eco-tourism, recycling, livelihood diversification, and others are also welcome to put Lamu on the map as having the greenest economy in Kenya.
Unfortunately for many decades, Lamu has been left disenfranchised with local communities being considered as squatters in their ancestral land. This has historically made Lamu prone to land grabbing and un-procedural allocations. To solve this, we aim to partner with the National Land Commission to ensure that our public and communal lands are well managed. We will also work closely with the Ministry of Lands to also ensure that issuing of individual land rights in Lamu is carried out in a transparent process that ensures all parties concerned are fairly settled. Through this, we will aptly be able to undertake land use planning and see through our integrated development plan. The establishment of the measures we have laid out in our manifesto will ensure that we sustainably and fairly utilize the resources available in Lamu to support investments but also ensure that the investments directly benefit the people of Lamu. With that, I wish to welcome tourists, and potential investors to not only come to Lamu to marvel at the picturesque magnificence of our county, but also partner with us and put us on the map as the most successful green economy in Africa .