Lodwar
title: "Lodwar" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-turkana-county", "county-capitals-in-kenya"] topic_path: "general/populated-places-in-turkana-county" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lodwar" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| official_name | Lodwar |
| native_name | |
| settlement_type | Town |
| image_skyline | Lodwar Kenya from hill2010.JPG |
| image_caption | View of Lodwar from the Hill |
| dot_x | |
| pushpin_map | Kenya |
| pushpin_label_position | bottom |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location in Kenya |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Kenya |
| subdivision_type1 | County |
| subdivision_name1 | Turkana County |
| established_title | |
| established_title2 | |
| established_title3 | |
| unit_pref | Metric |
| area_total_km2 | |
| area_land_km2 | |
| population_as_of | 2019 |
| population_footnotes | {{cite web |
| access-date | 28 March 2020 |
| population_total | 82970 |
| population_blank1_title | Ethnicities |
| population_blank2_title | Religions |
| population_blank2 | Christian |
| coordinates | |
| elevation_footnotes | |
| elevation_m | 477 |
| postal_code_type | |
| :: |
|official_name = Lodwar
|other_name =
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|settlement_type =Town
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|image_skyline = Lodwar Kenya from hill2010.JPG
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|pushpin_map = Kenya
|pushpin_label_position =bottom
|pushpin_map_caption =Location in Kenya
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = Kenya
|subdivision_type1 = County
|subdivision_name1 = Turkana County
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|population_as_of = 2019
|population_footnotes ={{cite web|url=https://www.knbs.or.ke/?wpdmpro=2019-kenya-population-and-housing-census-volume-ii-distribution-of-population-by-administrative-units&wpdmdl=5728&ind=MT12f0IDWVM-a0J2dc3Xi42qelbruMwR0a7XIWb0iAwnedEVNBjd_1FEwMun_eI5 |title=2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume II: Distribution of Population by Administrative Units
|access-date=28 March 2020 |website=Kenya National Bureau of Statistics| df=dmy }}
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|population_total = 82970
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|population_blank1_title =Ethnicities
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|population_blank2_title =Religions
|population_blank2 = Christian
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|population_density_blank1_sq_mi =
|timezone =
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|elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m = 477
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Lodwar is the largest town in north-western Kenya, located west of Lake Turkana on the A1 road. The main industries are basket weaving and tourism. The Loima Hills lie to the 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 poor, 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.
In the 1960s, missionaries built schools in and around the town. Shah Mohamed opened several stores in the remote towns of 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
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Lodwar_Kenya_landing2010.JPG" caption="View of Lodwar when landing"] ::
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 served by Lodwar Airport. The Turkana Geothermal Power Station is under construction about 170 kilometres away.
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. Lodwar has a very sunny climate year-round, with close to 3,600 hours of sunshine per year.
|location = Lodwar (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1920–present) |single line = Yes |metric first = Yes |Jan record high C = 39.8 |Feb record high C = 40.0 |Mar record high C = 40.6 |Apr record high C = 40.3 |May record high C = 39.0 |Jun record high C = 37.4 |Jul record high C = 38.3 |Aug record high C = 37.0 |Sep record high C = 39.0 |Oct record high C = 38.4 |Nov record high C = 39.9 |Dec record high C = 39.3 |year record high C = 40.6 |Jan high C = 36.4 |Feb high C = 37.5 |Mar high C = 37.1 |Apr high C = 35.9 |May high C = 35.6 |Jun high C = 34.6 |Jul high C = 33.8 |Aug high C = 34.3 |Sep high C = 35.6 |Oct high C = 35.9 |Nov high C = 35.4 |Dec high C = 35.5 |year high C = |Jan mean C = 29.3 |Feb mean C = 30.2 |Mar mean C = 30.6 |Apr mean C = 30.2 |May mean C = 30.3 |Jun mean C = 29.6 |Jul mean C = 29.1 |Aug mean C = 29.5 |Sep mean C = 30.4 |Oct mean C = 30.7 |Nov mean C = 29.8 |Dec mean C = 29.0 |year mean C = |Jan low C = 22.1 |Feb low C = 22.9 |Mar low C = 24.0 |Apr low C = 24.7 |May low C = 25.2 |Jun low C = 24.5 |Jul low C = 24.4 |Aug low C = 24.6 |Sep low C = 25.2 |Oct low C = 25.4 |Nov low C = 24.0 |Dec low C = 22.3 |year low C = |Jan record low C = 15.0 |Feb record low C = 12.6 |Mar record low C = 15.2 |Apr record low C = 14.3 |May record low C = 15.5 |Jun record low C = 17.4 |Jul record low C = 18.6 |Aug record low C = 19.2 |Sep record low C = 19.2 |Oct record low C = 15.3 |Nov record low C = 13.5 |Dec record low C = 14.5 |year record low C = 12.6 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 8.6 |Feb precipitation mm = 9.5 |Mar precipitation mm = 18.9 |Apr precipitation mm = 58.0 |May precipitation mm = 21.3 |Jun precipitation mm = 7.6 |Jul precipitation mm = 20.2 |Aug precipitation mm = 8.9 |Sep precipitation mm = 5.1 |Oct precipitation mm = 10.2 |Nov precipitation mm = 28.4 |Dec precipitation mm = 14.0 |year precipitation mm = 210.7 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 1 |Feb precipitation days = 1 |Mar precipitation days = 2 |Apr precipitation days = 4 |May precipitation days = 2 |Jun precipitation days = 1 |Jul precipitation days = 2 |Aug precipitation days = 1 |Sep precipitation days = 1 |Oct precipitation days = 1 |Nov precipitation days = 2 |Dec precipitation days = 1 |year precipitation days = 19 |Jan humidity = 38 |Feb humidity = 39 |Mar humidity = 41 |Apr humidity = 50 |May humidity = 50 |Jun humidity = 47 |Jul humidity = 48 |Aug humidity = 46 |Sep humidity = 42 |Oct humidity = 41 |Nov humidity = 44 |Dec humidity = 41 |year humidity = 44 |Jan sun = 316.2 |Feb sun = 271.6 |Mar sun = 288.3 |Apr sun = 258.0 |May sun = 310.0 |Jun sun = 306.0 |Jul sun = 306.9 |Aug sun = 306.9 |Sep sun = 306.0 |Oct sun = 306.9 |Nov sun = 288.0 |Dec sun = 313.1 |year sun = 3577.9 |Jand sun = 10.2 |Febd sun = 9.7 |Mard sun = 9.3 |Aprd sun = 8.6 |Mayd sun = 10.0 |Jund sun = 10.2 |Juld sun = 9.9 |Augd sun = 9.9 |Sepd sun = 10.2 |Octd sun = 9.9 |Novd sun = 9.6 |Decd sun = 10.1 |yeard sun = |source 1 = NOAA (precipitation and sun 1961–1990){{cite web | url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/KN/63612.TXT | title = Lodwar Climate Normals 1961–1990 | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201031082827/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/KN/63612.TXT | archive-date = 2020-10-31 | url-status = dead | access-date = July 6, 2015}} |source 2 = Deutscher Wetterdienst (humidity 1961–1990), | url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_636120_kt.pdf | title = Klimatafel von Lodwar / Kenia | work = Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world | publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst | language = de | access-date = August 31, 2016}} Meteo Climat (record highs and lows) | url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=1760 | title = Station Lodwar | publisher = Meteo Climat |language = fr | access-date = August 31, 2016}}
Issues
Only about 35 percent of 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 residents experience intermittent water shortages resulting in livestock death. Many people are predominantly nomadic pastoralists.
References
- Elizabeth Watkins, Jomo's Jailor – Grand Warrior of Kenya. (1993) Mulberry Books
References
- "Archived copy".
- Council, Geothermal Resources. (2017-11-09). "Kenya: AUC Grant to Help Fund 140nMW Turkana Geothermal Project".
- Chautard, Alice. (2019-12-09). "ECR Feature {{!}} Groundwater is a vital invisible under-exploited resource".
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