About Wajir Way Back When Brief Overview of Wajir County The place we now call Wajir County has been inhabited for hundreds of years. Early inhabitants were hunter-gatherers and later pastoralists who migrated from Ethiopia and Somalia around 3000 and 2000 years ago. Cushites were the first of the three ascendant groups to enter Kenyan territory, followed by the Nilotes, and then the Bantu-speaking people. The Cushitic linguas – named after Cush, a grand son of Noah – are spoken in Ethiopia, Somalia, the Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania. Among the reasons for the in-migration was search of grazing lands for their livestock. The Somali and Borana communities are among the earliest known inhabitants of the area. In time, Wajir served as a key transit point along trade routes connecting the Horn of Africa with the Indian Ocean coast. Caravans traveled through the region, trading goods like livestock, ivory, gold, and spices. During the late 19th century Wajir, and the surrounding areas, came under British colonial rule as part of the East Africa Protectorate. The British duly established administrative posts and introduced colonial governance structures, including the establishment of district and provincial administrations. Not entirely related but coinciding with this new dawn was that the insecurity at Wajir, for many decade henceforth, was plagued by instabilities along the Kenya-Somalia boundary. A complex tenor of state failure and tribal ‘armed’ violence among the resident Somali clans complicated the state of affairs. And to fan the flames, the Northern Frontier, which Wajir is part of, became a closed district under the Outlying Districts Ordinance P., Act No. 89 of 1925. From the onset of colonial rule, the Somali resisted and were resolute on carrying on with their nomadic life, without interference in their pastoral activities. While the British wanted them to settle down. To add to their differences, the Somali were deeply skeptic of the Brits. Inevitably small wars, with no more than one impressive punitive expedition, lasted for the better part of 1910-20s. Post independence, in a bid to redress the segregation, the NFD (Northern Frontier District) sought to secede from Kenya in 1950. This did not sit well with the newly independent Government of Kenya. No mention of Wajir would be complete without a mention of the WWII battles waged here between the British and Italian forces. Following early successes by Italy's ally, Germany, in the war, Mussolini declared war on Britain in June 1940. This meant that British possessions in East Africa, as well as British-controlled Egypt, a vital link to Suez Canal, and north Africa, were now threatened. The East African campaign was fought mainly between June 1940 and November 1941. The Italians attacked border posts in Kenya and Sudan, and captured British Somaliland in August. The Italian Viceroy, the Duke of Aosta, then ordered his troops to halt, allowing the initiative to pass to the British. The first action of the campaigns in Kenya was the Italian bombing of the air base at Wajir in June, 1940. This led to a series of small wars at Wajir and El Wak. Thankfully, these incursions did not lead to large scale combat. The last of the Italian troops in East Africa were defeated at the Battle of Gondar in November 1941. But several thousand escaped to wage a guerrilla war until September 1943, when Italy surrendered to the Allies. The esoteric Shifta Wars of 1960s and 70s, in many ways, made it worse. These led to even further marginalization of the NFD, for decades. After the Shifta Wars drew to a dull close, the tribes and sub-clans of Wajir became the new cleavages of social tension. At the last in 1979, the government waged the infamous Wagalla massacre to suppress revolts. The isolation led to more poverty and conflicts. However, amidst all their conflicts, the Somali tribes of Wajir fostered a singular and customary ways to resolve conflicts. In the 1990s, a group of local, non-state actors, led by a women’s market group, began an umbrella movement that kick started, then fostered, a decorous sort of peace and security across Wajir. Kenya gained independence from British colonial rule in 1963. Wajir District, as it was known at the time, became part of the newly independent Kenya. The county has since undergone significant political, social, and economic changes Wajir County offers a unique opportunity to explore a region known for its rich cultural heritage and unique landscapes. Its arid and semi-arid landscapes, including vast plains, rocky outcrops, and seasonal rivers, harbours plenty of wildlife adapted to arid conditions. Wajir County is a region shaped by its cultural heritage, resilience in harsh environments, and the traditions of its pastoralists. You Are Here: Wajir County Where to Next? Explore Destinations in Wajir County A Guide to Wajir County A Summa Digest of Wajir About Wajir Way Back When 20 Destinations in Wajir County , arranged as one would visit these - north, west then south - with the aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart: Wajir Oasis Hotel , Lake Yahud , Wagalla Monument , Old Wajir Town , Orahey Wells , Orahey Bunkers , Fort Wajir , Wajir Museum , Wajir War Cemetery , Esspresso Royale , Wajir Livestock Market , Wajir Giraffe Sanctuary , Shaletey Caves , Grosso Griftu , Malabar Hill , Mansa Guda Formation , Sabuli Wildlife Conservancy , Sabena Desert , Lorian Swamp , Habaswein Know More About Wajir County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including a distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments What's The Lay Of The Land In C.08? Wajir is a featureless plain which lies between 150 ms and 460 ms above sea level. The plain rises gently from the south and east towards the north rising from 150 ms at Buna to 460 ms around Bute. What's The Air Like In Wajir? Average mean temperature is 29 o C, with average monthly temperatures rarely going beyond 35 o C. The warmest months are February and March. Rainfall is minimal. Know More About Wajir County…

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