# Lodwar

Lodwar is the largest town in north-western Kenya, located west of Lake Turkana on the A1 road. Its main industries are basket weaving and tourism. The Loima Hills lie to its west. Lodwar is the capital of Turkana County. The town had a population of 82,970 in the 2019 census.

## History

According to the Insider’s guide to Kenya Lodwar's history began around 1933 when a trader named Shah Mohamed arrived on the banks of the Turkwell River. The roads were inaccessible, so he brought donkeys. He eventually built a permanent trading centre in Lodwar, including a gas station. The district commissioner's office was built, followed by a small medical clinic and a government prison. Police headquarters were built in Lokitaung, as tribal disputes were common in the area.
During the 1960s, missionaries built schools in and around the town. Shah Mohamed opened several stores in the remote towns of this Turkana county because he was the only contractor and supplier to government departments, carried mail to the area, and supplied and transported goods for the Norwegian and Italian fish-canning projects on Lake Turkana (both of which eventually failed).
During the colonial period, Lodwar functioned as a transit point for British officials moving Kenyan political prisoners to the north. Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's first president, was restricted to house arrest for two years in Lodwar, beginning in 1959. The town had developed a reputation as an isolated outpost removed from the rest of Kenya, but in recent years Lodwar has expanded and gained commercial and economic prominence.

## Overview

Lodwar is considered the capital of the region, housing local and governmental facilities, including Turkana's biggest health facility and the main referral hospital, Lodwar County Hospital (LDH). It is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lodwar. The town is also served by Lodwar Airport. Turkana Geothermal Power Station is under construction about 170 kilometers away from the town.

## Climate

Lodwar has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) with very high temperatures and very little rainfall throughout the year. The average annual rainfall is about 210 mm (8.27 in). Lodwar has a very sunny climate year-round, with close to 3,600 hours of sunshine per year.
Climate data for Lodwar (1961–1990, extremes 1920–present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 39.8 (103.6) | 40.0 (104.0) | 40.6 (105.1) | 40.3 (104.5) | 39.0 (102.2) | 37.4 (99.3) | 38.3 (100.9) | 37.0 (98.6) | 39.0 (102.2) | 38.4 (101.1) | 39.9 (103.8) | 39.3 (102.7) | 40.6 (105.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 35.5 (95.9) | 36.2 (97.2) | 36.2 (97.2) | 34.8 (94.6) | 34.8 (94.6) | 34.1 (93.4) | 33.2 (91.8) | 33.6 (92.5) | 34.9 (94.8) | 35.4 (95.7) | 34.5 (94.1) | 34.8 (94.6) | 34.8 (94.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 28.7 (83.7) | 29.6 (85.3) | 30.1 (86.2) | 29.6 (85.3) | 29.7 (85.5) | 29.1 (84.4) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.7 (83.7) | 29.6 (85.3) | 30.1 (86.2) | 29.1 (84.4) | 28.5 (83.3) | 29.3 (84.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.9 (71.4) | 23.0 (73.4) | 24.0 (75.2) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.1 (75.4) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.8 (74.8) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24.8 (76.6) | 23.7 (74.7) | 22.3 (72.1) | 23.7 (74.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 15.0 (59.0) | 12.6 (54.7) | 15.2 (59.4) | 14.3 (57.7) | 15.5 (59.9) | 17.4 (63.3) | 18.6 (65.5) | 19.2 (66.6) | 19.2 (66.6) | 15.3 (59.5) | 13.5 (56.3) | 14.5 (58.1) | 12.6 (54.7) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 8.6 (0.34) | 9.5 (0.37) | 18.9 (0.74) | 58.0 (2.28) | 21.3 (0.84) | 7.6 (0.30) | 20.2 (0.80) | 8.9 (0.35) | 5.1 (0.20) | 10.2 (0.40) | 28.4 (1.12) | 14.0 (0.55) | 210.7 (8.30) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 19 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 38 | 39 | 41 | 50 | 50 | 47 | 48 | 46 | 42 | 41 | 44 | 41 | 44 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 316.2 | 271.6 | 288.3 | 258.0 | 310.0 | 306.0 | 306.9 | 306.9 | 306.0 | 306.9 | 288.0 | 313.1 | 3,577.9 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 10.2 | 9.7 | 9.3 | 8.6 | 10.0 | 10.2 | 9.9 | 9.9 | 10.2 | 9.9 | 9.6 | 10.1 | 9.8 |
| Source 1: NOAA ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (humidity, 1961–1990), Meteo Climat (record highs and lows) ||||||||||||||

## Issues

Only about 35 percent of Lower citizens in Lodwar have access to electricity in their homes. The Lodwar Alluvial Aquifer comprises two unique systems east and west of the Lodwar municipality, on either side of the Turkwel River. Almost 1.3 billion cubic meters can be stored here with about 10% that can be utilized without causing unacceptable environmental, economic and social challenges. There is one shallow groundwater system in the region hosting potable freshwater, though its residents experience intermittent water shortages leading to the deaths of their cattle. The people are predominantly nomadic pastoralists.