Lowarengak

Lowarengak
Lowarengak
	Lowarengak Location of Lowarengak
	Coordinates: 4°17′N35°53′E / 4.28°N 35.89°E Coordinates: 4°17′N35°53′E / 4.28°N 35.89°E
Country	Kenya
Province	Rift Valley Province
Population
• Total	30,000
	As of 1992
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)

Last updated July 31, 2019

Lowarengak is a town in northern Kenya, near the Kenyan-Ethiopian border. Lowarengak lies on the northwestern margin of Lake Turkana, between the towns of Todenyang to the north, and Nachukui to the south.^[1] The town receives fresh water from the Lowarengak and Nakitokonon rivers that drain from the Lapur hills.^[2]

Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country in Africa with 47 semiautonomous counties governed by elected governors. At 580,367 square kilometres (224,081 sq mi), Kenya is the world's 48th largest country by total area. With a population of more than 52.2 million people, Kenya is the 27th most populous country. Kenya's capital and largest city is Nairobi while its oldest city and first capital is the coastal city of Mombasa. Kisumu City is the third largest city and also an inland port on Lake Victoria. Other important urban centres include Nakuru and Eldoret.

Lake Turkana, formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Kenyan Rift Valley, in northern Kenya, with its far northern end crossing into Ethiopia. It is the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake. By volume it is the world's fourth-largest salt lake after the Caspian Sea, Issyk-Kul, and Lake Van, and among all lakes it ranks 24th.

Geology

Lowarengak is situated just north of the Nachukui formation, a sedimentary sequence 730 meters thick that includes deposits from formation members including the Lonyumun (4.2-4 million years ago or Ma), Kataboi (3.9-3.4 Ma), Lomekwi (3.4-2.5 Ma), Lokalalei (2.5-2.3 Ma), Kalochoro (2.3–1.9 Ma), Kaitio (1.9–1.6 Ma), Natoo (1.6–1.3 Ma), and Nariokotome (1.3–0.6 Ma).^[3] Most deposits fer formed under lacustrine, fluvial and alluvial fan contexts, and some include remains of Australopithecus and Kenyanthropus.^[3]

Populations

Both Turkana and Merile pastoralists live in the region. In 1983, longstanding peace was broken when young warriors on both sides began killing one another.^[4] As a result, pastoralists in Lapur were unable to reach the lake with their animals, and by 1992 a mass movement of people from Lapur and Todenyang increased the population of Lowarengak by over 30,000. Another cause of flight to Lowarengak included severe drought.^[5] Many of the inhabitants who had previously raised livestock became fisherman in order to continue earning a living.^[4] Some who lived in Lowarengak later moved to Natole, continuing to flee the northern areas due to raids and pastoral conflict.^[5]

In 2013, hundreds of children were relocated to Lowarengak from Todenyang following large raids that also targeted schools.^[6]

Fishing industry

Fish catches in Lowarengak derive from Lake Turkana and include a number of species. Most fish are various species of the Synodontis catfish genus, known locally as "Tirr", or the perch genus Lates , including the Nile perch known as "iji."^[7] Other fish include Labeobarbus bynni ("Momwara"), Schilbe catfish ("Nail"), Hydrocynus tigerfish ("Lokel"), and Bagrus catfish ("Loruk").^[7]

Synodontis is the largest genus of mochokid catfishes. It is the biggest genus within the 10 genera and 190 different species in the family Mochokidae. Synodontis has over 131 different species within the genera. Synodontis are also known as squeakers, due to their ability to make stridulatory sounds through their pectoral fin spines when handled or disturbed. Synodontis make a sound that sounds like squeaking by rubbing their spines together. They do this when they have been frightened or when they become angry. "Synodontis" may also squeak when they are taken out of the water. These catfish are small- to medium-sized fish with many species exhibiting attractive spotted markings. Some species are also known for naturally swimming belly-up, earning the name upside-down catfish. Some of these species are Synodontis contractus and Synodontis nigriventris. While some of these species are known to swim upside down, another species, Synodontis multipunctatus, is a brood parasitic cuckoo catfish.

Lates is a genus of lates perches belonging to the family Latidae. The generic name is also used as a common name, lates, for many of the species.

The Nile perch is a species of freshwater fish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. It is widespread throughout much of the Afrotropic ecozone, being native to the Congo, Nile, Senegal, Niger and Lake Chad, Volta, Lake Turkana, and other river basins. It also occurs in the brackish waters of Lake Maryut in Egypt. The Nile perch is a fish of substantial economic and food-security importance in East Africa. Originally described as Labrus niloticus, among the marine wrasses, the species has also been referred to as Centropomus niloticus. Common names include African snook, Victoria perch, and a large number of local names in various African languages, such as the Luo name mbuta or mputa. In Tanzania, it is called sangara, sankara, or chenku. In Francophone African countries, it is known as capitaine and in Egypt/Sudan as am'kal. Its name in the Hausa language is giwan ruwa, meaning "water elephant".

The growth of the Lowarengak fishing industry was encouraged by the Kenyan government and led to the emergence of a trading economy. Many women began work as traders, transporting catch from lake Turkana to Lodwar.^[8] By 2009 the fishing industry around Lowarengak and nearby communities was reported to have grown to include 100,000 people, with numbers highest during droughts. Fish from Lowarengak and surrounding areas are exported as far as Lokichoggio, Kakuma, Kitale, Busia, Bunyala, Kisumu, Bungoma, Mumias, Siaya, Kakamega, and Eldoret.^[8]

Related Research Articles

Homo habilis is a proposed archaic species of Homo, which lived between roughly 2.1 and 1.5 million years ago, during the Gelasian and early Calabrian stages of the Pleistocene geological epoch.

Kenyanthropus platyops is a 3.5 to 3.2-million-year-old (Pliocene) hominin fossil discovered in Lake Turkana, Kenya in 1999 by Justus Erus, who was part of Meave Leakey's team.

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References

↑ Kolding, Jeppe (1995). "Changes in species composition and abundance of fish populations in Lake Turkana, Kenya". Chapman & Hall Fish and Fisheries Series volume 18. Springer. pp. 335–363.
↑ Harris, John; Brown, Francis Harold; Leakey, Meave; Walker, Alan; Leakey, Richard (1988). "Pliocene and Pleistovene Hominid Bearing Sites from West of Lake Turkana, Kenya". Science.
1 2 Francis Brown; Ian McDougall; Patrick Gathogo (2007). "Age Ranges of Australopithecus Species, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania". In Reed, Kaye; Fleagle, John; Richard, Leakey (eds.). The Paleobiology of Australopithecus. Springer. pp. 7–20.
1 2 Yongo, EO; Abila, RO; Lwenya, C (2010). "Emerging resource use conflicts between Kenyan fishermen, pastoralists and tribesmen of Lake Turkana". Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management. 13 (1): 28–34. doi:10.1080/14634980903578308.
1 2 Eriksen, Siri; Lind, Jeremy (2005). "The impacts of conflict on household vulnerability to climate stress: evidence from Turkana and Kitui Districts in Kenya". Human Security and Climate Change.
↑ Ng’asike, Lucas (10 October 2013). "KCPE candidates in Turkana relocated over insecurity at border". Kenya Daily Standard. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
1 2 Kolding, Jeppe (1987). "Trial Fishery in Lake Turkana Kenya". Institute of Marine Research Bergen.
1 2 Sikulu, Rogers (2009). "Proceedings of the first Lake Turkana Stakeholders Workshop". Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute. 1.

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[springerkolding-1] Kolding, Jeppe (1995). "Changes in species composition and abundance of fish populations in Lake Turkana, Kenya". Chapman & Hall Fish and Fisheries Series volume 18. Springer. pp. 335–363.

[hombearing88-2] Harris, John; Brown, Francis Harold; Leakey, Meave; Walker, Alan; Leakey, Richard (1988). "Pliocene and Pleistovene Hominid Bearing Sites from West of Lake Turkana, Kenya". Science.

[bmg07-3] 1 2 Francis Brown; Ian McDougall; Patrick Gathogo (2007). "Age Ranges of Australopithecus Species, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania". In Reed, Kaye; Fleagle, John; Richard, Leakey (eds.). The Paleobiology of Australopithecus. Springer. pp. 7–20.

[yongo-4] 1 2 Yongo, EO; Abila, RO; Lwenya, C (2010). "Emerging resource use conflicts between Kenyan fishermen, pastoralists and tribesmen of Lake Turkana". Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management. 13 (1): 28–34. doi:10.1080/14634980903578308.

[eriksen-5] 1 2 Eriksen, Siri; Lind, Jeremy (2005). "The impacts of conflict on household vulnerability to climate stress: evidence from Turkana and Kitui Districts in Kenya". Human Security and Climate Change.

[2013raid-6] Ng’asike, Lucas (10 October 2013). "KCPE candidates in Turkana relocated over insecurity at border". Kenya Daily Standard. Retrieved 18 October 2016.

[koldingdata-7] 1 2 Kolding, Jeppe (1987). "Trial Fishery in Lake Turkana Kenya". Institute of Marine Research Bergen.

[sikulu-8] 1 2 Sikulu, Rogers (2009). "Proceedings of the first Lake Turkana Stakeholders Workshop". Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute. 1.