About Tana River Way Back When Brief History of Tana River County Although Tana River is by no standards a populous county, it has a long saga of fragile peace and tribal antagonism. Stumbling blocks that transposed Tana River County beyond local solutions include: its economic and political marginalization, its extended oft-times convoluted resistance to policy assimilation, its resource depletion, lagging demographic progress, the unsettling climatic settings, cattle rustling, small arms propagation and, regrettably, the rebuff government policies. North of Ozi and Kipini along Tana River, upto Garissa, live the Pokomo, the poster tribe of Tana River County. There is evidence that some Upper Pokomo, split from the the Lower Pokomo based on settlement along Tana River, may be descended from serfs of the Witu Swahili on mainland Lamu. Presently, the Pokomo number about 65,000, and their small population appears only to have doubled in size over the past 100 years. In this little-dwelled region, they live in compact groups of between 15 and 150 per km2, density swelling toward the mouth of the river. Pokomo alongside the Orma, who inhabit the surrounding scrub land, together account for 91% of the population in Tana River County – which has the lowest population density among the counties that make up the coast region of Kenya. Since their settlement here in the 17th century, the Pokomo have endured many disruptions to their socio-economic wellbeing. The Orma were for many years the tyrants of the Pokomo, continually raiding and harassing, when not enslaving them. Greatly affected by the outsiders, over generation, their culture derived from the Orma, as are their names, their clan names, and some of their customs. Tribal conflicts in Tana River County date back to the 17th century when different communities started settling along the banks of River Tana, especifically of tribes from Ethiopia and Somali. Corrival in the contention were the Orma, a descendant of the Oromo, native to Oromia in Ethiopia. Ordinarily tall with slender physiques and handsome attributes, the Orma were fierce, showing fury or malignity in war. They were also diplomatic, often than not also understanding Somali, Borana and Swahili. As such, the Orma expanded fast. In Kenya they currently number about 455,001, most of whom are Muslims, having converted into Islam in the 1940s. Ethnographic evidence is not clear on the migratory routes taken by the Orma (or Galla) to Tana River County, their stronghold in Kenya. They likely springboarded across the Dirre precinct in southern Ethiopia where they practised pastoralism. During the 16th century they journeyed on southwards to Moyale – a town on the border between Ethiopia and Kenya – and later to Lorian Swamp near Habaswein. On arrival at the Lorian Swamp the Orma split into two groups: one group went to Aji on their way to Kismayu and the other proceeded southbound to Tana River. Despite their initial success the Orma, if they assumed they were truly fortunate, were on the wend to meet a revenge opponent. The arrival of the Orma in Tana River initially led to a retreat of the Bantu-speaking peoples towards Sabaki River, and the Somali northwards toward Juba River. And for over a century, the Orma run riot and ruled these neck of the woods. However, at the beginning of the 19th century, the Somali, also predisposed to a pastoralist lifestyle, in an apparent bid to recapture their lost territory, invaded, conquered and almost annihilated the Orma. Most of them were taken captive and enslaved in Somalia, up until the 1930s. In time the Orma returned to Tana River and are today known as Wardei. This is to also say that their culture and lingo are essentially Somali. However, the Wardei insist that their ethnic identity is that of the Orma. On this account, the Orma, not always on friendly terms, can be split into three groups on the basis of the ecology and river system that define their regions. These classes are: Hirman, in the arid north area bordering Garissa County, the Galole, in the intermediate section of Tana River, and the Chaffa, in the south along the Tana River delta. The early to mid 20th century was also a tumultuous period in Tana River County. If the above conflicts had not inflicted enough damage, the onset of Christianity and Muslim further split the communities. The Upper Pokomo are thought of more as Muslim-influenced and less as practicing Muslims thanks to their culture having been considered hostile to Islamization. This is because their kinsmen Orma are Muslim and the Pokomo were inimical to both Muslim and Christian missioners. Early missionaries and explorers soon found that the region and its people were unbreakable. At least three early colonial officers posted at Bura were reported to have become so oppressed by the area that they committed suicide. While in 1862, an eccentric sultan fled here, decided to dub himself ‘Simba' (the lion) and proclaim the sovereign ‘State of Swahililand' that duly issued its own currency and stamps. It didn't last long. A British expeditionary force razed the ‘state' in 1890. Just before the outbreak of WWI, in 1913, a settler, Charles Whitton, set up a plantation on the River Tana delta; it failed. He retired to Lamu where, for forty years, he was the Lord Mayor and universally referred to as ‘Coconut Charlie'. Percy Petley also experimented disastrously with agriculture in the region; failed and retired to Lamu, where he set up the Petley Inn. Reputed to have ‘slayed a fully grown leopard with his bare fists', Percy frequently told his guests that they had better cook their own suppers; and those that remonstrated asked to leave. Tana River County is a rewarding destination for travelers interested in exploring off-the-beaten-path locations in Kenya. River Tana is the longest river in Kenya, flowing through the county and offering opportunities for riverine activities such as boat cruises, fishing, and birdwatching. Tana River County is home to the Orma and Pokomo ethnic groups, each with rich cultural traditions, music, and dances. You Are Here: Tana River County Where to Next? Explore Destinations in Tana River County A Guide to Tana River County A Summa Digest of Tana River About Tana River Way Back When 28 Destinations in Tana River County , arranged as one would visit these - north to south - with the aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart: Ngao Neukirchen Church , Lake Shakababo , Delta Dunes Lodge , Ozi Conservation Area , Tana River Lodge , Old Town Kipini , Ungwana Bay Ruins , Shaka Ruins , Mwana Ruins , Fumo Liyongo Shrine , Kipini Conservancy , Red Cliff Camp , River Tana Delta , Tana Delta Colonial Forts , Tana Delta Cultural Centre , Tana Primate National Reserve , Mchelelo Bandas , Ndera Conservancy , Mau Mau Hola Monument , Hola Methodist Church , Bura St. Jude , Bura Irrigation Scheme , Bura East Conservancy , Arawale National Reserve , George Adamson's Grave , Kora National Park , Adamson's Fall , Tana River Bridge Know More About Tana River County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including a distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments What's The Air Like In T. River? Tana River has a hot and dry climate with average annual temperatures of 30 o C; the highest,41 o C, is in January-March and the lowest being 20 o  C in June-July. Rainfall is low, bi-modal, and erratic. What's The Lay Of The Land In C.04? The land generally sloping eastward, Tana River is all undulating plain that is only interrupted in a few places by low hills – at Bilibil and Bura. Know More About Tana River County…

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