Lodwar

Lodwar is the largest town in northwestern Kenya, lying 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 District. The town has a population of 17,000. [http://treasury.go.ke/cbs.go.ke/pdf/authority.pdf]

According to the “Insider’s guide to Kenya “ Lodwar’s inauspicious 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 the donkeys. He laid the first foundation and eventually built a permanent trading centre 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 the tribal disputes were common in the area. In 60’s the missionaries started building schools.Shah Mohamed opened several stores in remote towns of this Turkana district because he was the only contractor and supplier to government departments, carried mail to the area, supplied and transported the goods for the Norwegian and Italian fish-canning projects on Lake Turkana (both projects eventually failed)
Jomo Kenyatta was restricted to house arrest for two years in Lodwar in 1959.

References

* Elizabeth Watkins, "Jomo's Jailor - Grand Warrior of Kenya". (1993) Mulberry Books ISBN 978-0952895206

ee also

* Jomo Kenyatta