Lamu fort that carries 200 years of history

Residents socialise at Lamu Fort in Lamu County on May 14, 2019. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • After the Omani regime, the fort was taken over by the British who converted it into a prison, from 1910
  • The Swedish government funded its restoration and designated the historic landmark as a cultural centre for Lamu.

At the heart of Lamu is a fort that has existed for over 200 years.

Situated right in the middle of Lamu Old Town, the building, which still looks strong, has a rich history in as far as Old Town — a World Heritage site having been enlisted by Unesco in 2001 — is concerned.

The Lamu Fort and the Lamu Old Town’s history are inseparable.

The fort is a massive two-storey structure at the town’s entrance around the square facing the harbour.

The structure measures approximately 40 metres on each side with two round bastions located diagonally across from one another at the south east and north west corners.

A rectangular penthouse rises from the north eastern side of the roof. In elevation, the Lamu Fort measures about 20 metres to the top of the penthouse.

PRISON

Construction of the fort began around 1810 either shortly before or after the 1812 Battle of Shella in Lamu’s victory over Pate and Mombasa.

According to Mr Mohamed Ali Mwenje, the curator with the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) in charge of the Lamu Museums and Lamu World Heritage sites, the fort’s major construction was reputedly undertaken by Mwenye Mui-Zahid Mngumi, through cooperation from Seyyid Said — the Sultan of Oman — who was then cultivating a promising new alliance with Lamu.

Upon its completion in about 1821, the Fort marked the southern end of the original Stone Town and served as a garrison for Baluchi soldiers (from India) sent by the Sultan of Oman to ensure his interests were protected.

Lamu Fort’s protective presence encouraged new developments around it, and it was at this time that some merchants erected the 19th century shop front buildings.

After the Omani regime, the fort was then taken over by the British administration who converted it into a prison, from 1910.

By mid-1920, the fort had already housed 200 convicts and nine warders.

FORT GAZETTED

It is within this period that the Lamu Fort, apart from serving as a prison, also prominently served as a coordinating centre for a series of concentration camps during the Emergency period in the 1950s.

The fort was gazetted as a national monument in 1985. The Swedish government funded its restoration and designated the historic landmark as a cultural centre for Lamu.

Prior to its restoration, the fort had a forbidding effect and most of the townsfolk preferred not to be associated with it.

However, Lamu Fort has become a prominent venue for weddings and other community engagements after transforming into a social cultural centre.

In 2008, some documents relating to freedom leaders, dating back to the 1950s, were recovered at the fort with medical and psychiatric reports of some prominent figures who were incarcerated in some of the camps on Manda Island.

SOCIAL PLACE

Mr Mwenje says that apart from the facility being hired for conferences and weddings, among other events, the fort is considered the oldest meeting point.

First time visitors find it hard to manoeuvre through the narrow streets of the Old Town as they can get lost easily.

The curator insists the fort is the landmark that enables the walk around.

The Lamu Fort is right in the middle of the Lamu Old Town. So it’s obviously easier for people to meet at the Lamu Fort than anywhere else.

The fort is particularly of great assistance to those who are new to Lamu. They use the Lamu Fort as a meeting point with friends before deciding where else they can visit in the historical town. “It’s not easy to get lost if you’ve mastered the location of the Lamu Fort,” says Mr Mwenje.

The fort houses the administrative offices for Lamu Museums, and stores permanent artefact collections and a library.

Is there a site you want us to feature? Write an e-mail to [email protected]