Relic Town in Tana River Old Town Kipini: Spice Capital of Tana 175 km north and east of Malindi via B8 Malindi-Garissa Road turning off at Minjila onto C112 Garsen-Lamu Road then branching off at Witu southerly heading you reach Kipini. More or less an agglomeration of mud and stone buildings, most with thatched roofs, others with iron sheets and still others partial or empty, arranged somewhat neatly in the same style Mtaa layout of Lamu and Shela, but lacking amenities like good roads, Kipini town stands at the southern area of Tana River. Kipini is linked to the Indian Ocean by a narrow channel lined with mangroves. Kipini is said to have been established by the Arabs and utilized at some point by the Portuguese, but it almost certainly came under the limelight during the British Rule in Kenya from 1886. With its obvious advantage fronting the ocean and near the mouth of River Tana, Kipini was famous as the Arab stronghold where the powerful and influential sultan diverted the delta’s water to his large plantations of spices and rice that could have rivalled Seyyid Said’s Spice Island in Zanzibar. In this upon a time, Kipini was a trading hub. By the time the Busaidi of Zanzibar captured Kau above Kipini, both were advanced trading bases for Lamu, and in this way the trading network penetrated directly into Pokomo country. The Pokomo brought ivory down river to Kau and Kipini, where it was bought and then forwarded to Lamu. In 1886 the Anglo-German Treaty between Britain and Germany was endorsed, to define spheres of influence along East Africa’s coast. Since none of them wanted to be in direct conflict with the Busaidi of Zanzibar, they decided to allocate him ten miles coastal strip running from Kipini in the north to Ruvuma River in the south. The Germans thereafter paid for the right to use the sultan’s ten mile possession on the German East African section. The British, on the other hand, opted to pay annual rent equalling to the amount of tax collected by the sultan in that part adjacent to East Africa Protectorate (EAP). Thus, in 1891, Kipini would have its early intimations with the newcomers as the British forces landed at its jetty, before heading 16 miles inland to Witu where they made every effort to wreck the town and its defenses. In 1900, the British set up an outpost at Kipini. Despite the progress, the complexity of the 1886 treaty came into focus in 1920 when the British wanted to alter the status of EAP into a colony. As Kipini and the coastal grew the British realized that the ten miles strip could not be annexed without causing international conflict thanks to the treaties that the sultan had entered with rigid powers guaranteeing their control and sovereignty of her coastal dominions. So, the colonial government went for a hurried fix by renaming the territory, colony and protectorate of Kenya. The latter designated the ten miles coastal strip while all the land from the ten miles became the colony. It was this quick fix that later reared its ugly face at the time of self-rule when the Arabs in the coastal strip (originally) rejected to be merged in independent Kenya. The old prison at Kipini which was used till the late 1950s is discernable at what is now Kipini Secondary School. The structures are still standing, though unused or condemned. Kipini was among the foremost colonial stations. The D.C’s office was built after October 1899 when the British forces arrived at Kipini to control Tana River District. This structure exists to date, but in a dilapidated state, too, and is said to be haunted by two ghosts – of Clifford Pitt and Martha Duff. The passage of this era is still remembered with a sense of disquietude: “The D.C had his road and was carried on a palanquin on the shoulders of carriers. He instructed every village to find the strongest, energetic and most handsome men to do the job”. Hence the road to his office was nicknamed in Kipokomo “mzigo wa malindi”. Near the District Commissioner’s (DC) house are the graves of three eccentric settlers: Mr. Clifford Pitt; the other of Mr Kenneth and that of Mrs Martha Duff, Kenneth’s mother. Mrs Duff, a widow, who had arrived to visit her only son, only to be told that he’d died weeks earlier, suffered a heart attack and died in 1923. The old town of Kipini as it stands today could at best only be described as a backcountry outpost. The economy is primarily based on fishing, agriculture, and small-scale trade. Fishing is a major economic activity, with local anglers relying on the Tana River and the Indian Ocean for their livelihoods. Farming is practiced for subsistence, with crops such as maize, cassava, and coconuts being grown. Yet, for the history buff Kipini evokes a sense of nostalgia for a time when it was at the peak of the dawn of new era in Kenya. Its achievement and success as a trading post cannot be overlooked. Old Town Kipini;s deterioration from a previously successful or illustrious state is the base remain of a fast-changing era in the history of Kenya poignantly recalled generally as the scramble for Africa. The sense of loss or decline of Kipini was no more by design as it was by fast-changing priorities. The coast of East Africa has many examples of fallen towns. Historic towns around the world offer a glimpse into the past, preserving architecture, culture, and stories from different eras. In Kenya, some of the oldest towns are found along the coast, where medieval trade put on the map long before developments in the hinterland. Among these is Lamu town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its Swahili architecture and cultural traditions. Index of Relic & Historic Towns Around Kenya Baringo County - Tambach , Homa Bay County - Old Kendu Bay Town , Isiolo County - Isiolo Town , Garba Tula , Kilifi County - Old Town Takaungu , Mambrui , Kwale County - Old Town Vanga , Vumba Kuu, Kwale , Lamu County - Lamu Old Town, Witu , Shela, Faza , Manda, Mandera County - El Wak, Migori County - Awendo-Sori , Mombasa County - Old Town Mombasa , Nyandarua County - Njabini town , Samburu County - Archer's Post , Tana River County - Old Town Kipini , Wajir County - Old Town Wajir 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: Old Town Kipini Where to Next? Explore Destinations Nearby Old Town Kipini 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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