Wajir Wajeer | |
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Town | |
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  Wajir Location within Kenya  Wajir Location within the Horn of Africa  Wajir Location within Africa | |
| Coordinates: 01°45′00″N40°03′00″E / 1.75000°N 40.05000°E | |
| Country |  Kenya |
| County | Wajir County |
| Elevation | 1,200 m (3,900 ft) |
| Population (2019) [1] | |
| • Total | 90,116 |
| Area code | 46 |
| Climate | BWh |
Wajir (Somali : Wajeer) is the capital of Wajir County in Kenya. It is situated in the former North Eastern Province.
A cluster of cairns near Wajir are generally ascribed by the local inhabitants to the Maadiinle, a semi-legendary people of high stature, who are associated with the Somali. A. T. Curle (1933) reported the excavation of two of these large tumuli, finding traces of skeletal remains which crumbled at his touch, as well as earthenware shards and a copper ring. [2]
Wajir was attacked by Italian forces in World War II.
Wajir was the site of the Wagalla massacre in 1984. The Kenyan army rounded up as many as 5,000 Somali men of the Degodia clan from their homes on the morning of 10 February. Although the ostensible purpose was to defuse clan fighting, the army held the Degodia captives at an airstrip for five days without water and food, before executing them.
Wajir is located in an arid area prone to drought. It sits at a latitude and longitude of 01°45′00″N40°03′00″E / 1.75000°N 40.05000°E . (Latitude:1.75000; Longitude:40.05000). The town is served by Wajir Airport, with flights to Nairobi, Galkacyo and Mogadishu.
Wajir is mainly inhabited by Somalis, The 2019 census reported a total population of 150,116 inhabitants. [1]
Wajir has a hot arid climate (Köppen BWh).
| Climate data for Wajir | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 35 (95) | 36 (96) | 36 (96) | 34 (94) | 33 (92) | 32 (90) | 31 (88) | 32 (89) | 33 (91) | 33 (92) | 33 (91) | 33 (92) | 33 (92) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21 (70) | 22 (72) | 23 (74) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 21 (70) | 21 (69) | 21 (69) | 21 (70) | 22 (71) | 22 (71) | 23 (73) | 22 (71) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 5.1 (0.2) | 13 (0.5) | 20 (0.8) | 69 (2.7) | 36 (1.4) | 0 (0) | 5.1 (0.2) | 2.5 (0.1) | 5.1 (0.2) | 25 (1) | 41 (1.6) | 23 (0.9) | 244.8 (9.6) |
| Source: Weatherbase [3] | |||||||||||||
Wajir is the capital of the Wajir County. The county is subdivided into 6 Constituencies (Wajir South Constituency, Wajir East Constituency, Wajir West Constituency, Wajir North Constituency,Tarbaj Constituency and Eldas Constituency. These constituencies are represented by Members of Parliament in the National Assembly. The county has a total of 30 wards.
The North Eastern Province is one of the former provinces of Kenya. It had a land area of 127,358.5 km2, with its capital at Garissa. The North Eastern Province was carved out of the then Northern Frontier District (NFD) prior to independence.
The Garre are a prominent Somali clan that traces its lineage back to Samaale, who is believed to have originated from the Arabian Peninsula through Aqiil Abu Talib. The Garre clan is considered to be a sub-clan of the Digil-Rahanweyn clan family, which is part of the larger Rahanweyn clan. However, genealogically, they are descended from Gardheere Samaale. The Garre are also categorized as southern Hawiye as well.
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Wajir County is a county in the former North Eastern Province of Kenya. Its capital and largest town is Wajir. The county has a population of 781,263 2019 and an area of 55,840.6 km2 (21,560.2 sq mi). The county is bordered to the north by Ethiopia, to the northeast by Mandera County, to the east by Somalia, to the south by Garissa County, to the west by Isiolo County and to the northwest by Marsabit County. The county has six constituencies: Wajir South, Tarbaj, Wajir North, Wajir West, Wajir East, and Eldas.
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Wajir South Constituency is a electoral constituency in Kenya. Wajir South is one of the six constituencies in Wajir County and one of the largest in Kenya. It is also one of the most neglected, underdeveloped, and unchanged constituencies in Kenya since its creation. The constituency IEBC data shows Wajir South land mass is about 21,424 sq km, hence larger than Central (11,449), Nairobi (696) and Western (7,400) regions combined. The constituency has seven wards Burder Ward, Dadajabula, Ibrahim ure, Diif, Lagboqol south, Habaswein, and Banane ward, all electing Members of County Assembly(MCA) to the Wajir County Assembly. On 27 September 2023, leaders from Wajir South Constituency led by area Mp Mr. Mohamed Adow submitted a memorundum proposing the creation of Wajir South County to the National Dialogue Committee at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi. This was sparked by the inequitable distribution of Wajir County resources and allocation of county jobs with Wajir South getting a paltry 5.33% and 4.19% respectively despite accounting 40% of Wajir County.
Wajir Airport is an airport in Wajir County, Kenya.
Kenyan Somalis are citizens and residents of Kenya who are of Somali ethnic descent. They have historically inhabited the North Eastern Province, previously called the Northern Frontier District, which was carved out of the Jubaland region of present-day southern Somalia during the colonial period. Following the civil war in Somalia that broke out in 1991, many Somalis sought asylum in the Somali-inhabited enclaves of Kenya. An entrepreneurial community, they established themselves in the business sector, particularly in the Nairobi suburb of Eastleigh.
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