Lowarengak is a town in northern

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

, near the Kenyan-Ethiopian border. Lowarengak lies on the northwestern margin of

Lake Turkana Lake Turkana (), formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Kenyan Rift Valley, in northern Kenya, with its far northern end crossing into Ethiopia. It is the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake. B ...

, between the towns of Todenyang to the north, and Nachukui to the south. The town receives fresh water from the Lowarengak and Nakitokonon rivers that drain from the Lapur hills.

Geology

Lowarengak is situated just north of the Nachukui formation, a sedimentary sequence 730 meters thick that includes deposits from formation members including the Lonyumun (4.2-4 million years ago or Ma), Kataboi (3.9-3.4 Ma),

Lomekwi Lomekwi 3 is the name of an archaeological site in Kenya where ancient stone tools have been discovered dating to 3.3 million years ago, which make them the oldest ever found. Discovery In July 2011, a team of archeologists led by Sonia Harman ...

(3.4-2.5 Ma), Lokalalei (2.5-2.3 Ma), Kalochoro (2.3–1.9 Ma), Kaitio (1.9–1.6 Ma), Natoo (1.6–1.3 Ma), and Nariokotome (1.3–0.6 Ma, the place is also known for the

Turkana boy Turkana Boy, also called Nariokotome Boy, is the name given to fossil KNM-WT 15000, a nearly complete skeleton of a ''Homo ergaster'' youth who lived 1.5 to 1.6 million years ago. This specimen is the most complete early hominin skeleton ever ...

). Most deposits fer formed under lacustrine, fluvial and alluvial fan contexts, and some include remains of ''Australopithecus'' and ''Kenyanthropus''.

Populations

Both Turkana and Merile pastoralists live in the region. In 1983, longstanding peace was broken when young warriors on both sides began killing one another. As a result, pastoralists in Lapur were unable to reach the lake with their animals, and by 1992 a mass movement of people from Lapur and Todenyang increased the population of Lowarengak by over 30,000. Another cause of flight to Lowarengak included severe drought. Many of the inhabitants who had previously raised livestock became fisherman in order to continue earning a living. Some who lived in Lowarengak later moved to Natole, continuing to flee the northern areas due to raids and pastoral conflict. In 2013, hundreds of children were relocated to Lowarengak from Todenyang following large raids that also targeted schools.

Fishing industry

Fish catches in Lowarengak derive from Lake Turkana and include a number of species. Most fish are various species of the ''

Synodontis ''Synodontis'' is the largest genus of mochokid catfishes. It is the biggest genus within the 10 genera and 190 different species in the family Mochokidae. ''Synodontis'' has over 131 different species within the genus. ''Synodontis'' are also k ...

'' catfish genus, known locally as "Tirr", or the perch genus ''

Lates ''Lates'' is a genus of freshwater and euryhaline lates perches belonging to the family Latidae. The generic name is also used as a common name, lates, for many of the species. All species are predatory, and the Nile perch (''L. niloticus''), in ...

'', including the

Nile perch The Nile perch (''Lates niloticus''), also known as the African snook, Goliath perch, African barramundi , Goliath barramundi, Giant lates or the Victoria perch, is a species of freshwater fish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. It is wid ...

known as "iji." Other fish include ''

Labeobarbus bynni ''Labeobarbus bynni'', the Niger barb, is an African species of cyprinid freshwater fish. It has often been placed in the genus ''Barbus'', but is now usually placed in ''Labeobarbus''. This is a relatively large barb, up to in total length. It ...

'' ("Momwara"), ''

Schilbe ''Schilbe'' is a genus of schilbid catfishes native to Africa. Some are colloquially called butter catfish, though this may also refer to the Asian genus ''Ompok'' of the family Siluridae. Species There are currently 21 recognized species in thi ...

'' catfish ("Nail"), ''

Hydrocynus ''Hydrocynus'' is a genus of large characin fish in the family Alestidae commonly called "tigerfish," native to the African continent. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ὕδωρ ("water"Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. (1940). ''A Greek-Eng ...

'' tigerfish ("Lokel"), and ''

Bagrus ''Bagrus'' is a genus of bagrid catfishes. These are relatively large catfish found in freshwater habitats in Africa, except for the virtually unknown ''B. tucumanus'' from South America, which likely is a Synonym (biology), synonym of ''Luciop ...

'' catfish ("Loruk"). The growth of the Lowarengak fishing industry was encouraged by the Kenyan government and led to the emergence of a trading economy. Many women began work as traders, transporting catch from lake Turkana to Lodwar. By 2009 the fishing industry around Lowarengak and nearby communities was reported to have grown to include 100,000 people, with numbers highest during droughts. Fish from Lowarengak and surrounding areas are exported as far as Lokichoggio, Kakuma, Kitale, Busia, Bunyala, Kisumu, Bungoma, Mumias, Siaya, Kakamega, and Eldoret.

References

{{reflist, 30em Populated places in Turkana County

Geology

Populations

Fishing industry

See also

References