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The Turkwel River (sometimes spelled Turkwell River) is a river flowing from Mount Elgon on the border of
The Turkwel River (sometimes spelled Turkwell River) is a river flowing from Mount Elgon on the border of Kenya
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, capital = Nairobi
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, largest_city = Nairobi
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and Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...
to Lake Turkana. The river is called the Suam River from its source to the border at West Pokot County
West Pokot County is a county of Kenya. Its capital and largest town is Kapenguria. The county covers an area of approximately 9,169.4 square kilometers and stretches a distance of 132 kilometers from North to South. West Pokot County is bordere ...
of Kenya. The name Turkwel is derived from the Turkana name for the river, ''Tir-kol'', which means a river that "withstands the wilderness". The Turkwel begins on the lush green slopes of Mount Elgon and the Cherangani Hills
The Cherang'any Hills are a range of hills in the western highlands of Kenya. The hills are one of Kenya's five main forests and catchment areas. The highlands, the large central plateau, is divided by the Mau Escarpment which rises from the bor ...
, then traverses the Southern Turkana Plains, crosses the Loturerei Desert near Lodwar
Lodwar is the largest town in north-western Kenya, located 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 County. The town has a popula ...
and empties into the world's largest desert lake, Lake Turkana. The river's flow is seasonally varied, and it is subject to flash floods in the rainy season.
The controversial Turkwel Dam was built by the Kenyan government from 1986 to 1991 with the help of France. The plan was to harness the waters of the Turkwel. The project was initially supposed to cost KSh.4 billion/=, but ended up costing more than KSh.20 billion/=. The dam partially filled the Turkwel Gorge and created the Turkwel Gorge Reservoir.
References
Rivers of Kenya Mount Elgon Tributaries of Lake Turkana West Pokot County {{Kenya-river-stub