The Turkana District was an administrative district in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. It was the northwesternmost district in the country and is bordered by Uganda to the west; South Sudan and Ethiopia (including the disputed Ilemi Triangle) to the north and northeast; and Lake Turkana to the east. To the south and east, neighbouring districts in Kenya include West Pokot, Baringo, and Samburu, while Marsabit District lies on the opposite (eastern) shore of Lake Turkana.

The territory of Turkana District was separated from the Uganda Protectorate in two stages—the southern section in 1902 and the northern region in 1926. In 2013, Turkana County was formally established with boundaries corresponding to those of the former district.

History Four Stone Age cultural sites are located along tributaries on the west side of Lake Turkana in West Turkana–at Lokalalei, Kokiselei, and Nadung. These sites attracted archaeological interest beginning in 1988.(secondary) D Waugh – Geography: An Integrated Approach ISBN 017444706X Retrieved 1994

The earliest Late Stone Age industries date from 12,000 BP.C Ehret, M Posnansky – The Archaeological and Linguistic Reconstruction of African History University of California Press, 1982 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 0520045939

Colonial influence, in the form of pacification within the district, began in 1900 and ended in 1918.

In 1926, the entire Turkana people were subjugated by the British military, which subsequently restricted their movements to a designated area of Kenya, thereby forcing them to settle in what is now known as Turkana District.Merriam-Webster dictionary online

In 1958, the district experienced an influx of individuals identified as members of the Turkana community, who had been expelled from Isiolo Town and forcibly relocated by the British colonial administration.

The district remained almost completely isolated from external influences until 1976, when roadblocks restricting entry were removed.

In 2000, communities in the northern part of the district were reported to be endangered by marauding Ethiopians and were consequently forced to settle in southerly locations.

Language The region is known in Kenyan as Aturksven.

Some place names in the area are derived from the languages of the Pokot and Samburu peoples, reflecting the historical presence of these communities before their displacement by the Turkana.

Geography The district was located within the boundaries of the former Rift Valley Province. According to data from 1991, the majority of the population at that time earned their livelihood through farming.W Critchley – Looking After Our Land: Soil and Water Conservation in Dryland Africa p.45- Oxfam, 1991 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 0855981709 Covering an area of nearly 77,000 km2, Turkana is the largest district in Kenya. Its capital is Lodwar, and the district had a population of 450,860 according to the 1999 census.

Irrigation networks in Kekarongole and Katilu were established around or after 1975. According to 1982 data, annual rainfall was recorded as less than ten inches, ranging between 115 mm and 650 mm.W Critchley Over the 50-year period beginning in 1938, thirteen drought periods were recorded.

Economics On 26 March 2012, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki announced that oil had been discovered in Turkana District following exploratory drilling by the Anglo-Irish firm Tullow Oil. He stated,

Gold panning was reported in 2005 at Lochoremoit, Namoruputh, and Ng,akoriyiek.

According to Barrett (2001), as cited in Watson, a person's wealth is traditionally measured in cattle.

Figures from 1998 indicate an average herd size of between 15 and 20.

District subdivisions Local authorities (councils) Authority Type Population*Urban pop.* Lodwar Municipality 35,897 16,981 Turkana County 414,963 26,563 Total – 450,860 43,544

Administrative divisions Division Population*PopulationdensityHeadquarters Central 35,919 45 Lodwar Kaaling 24,053 3 Kainuk 11,799 7 Kakuma 97,114 26 Kakuma Kalokol 28,735 5 Kalokol Katilu 12,548 10 Kerio 15,409 6 Kibish 6,056 – Lapur 12,780 6 Lokichar 21,791 5 Lokichar Lokichogio 36,187 5 Lokichogio Lokitaung 22,586 12 Lokitaung Loima 33,979 10 Lokori 17,915 3 Lomelo 6,088 1 Kapedo Oropol 18,020 3 Oropol Turkwel 49,881 9 Total 450,860 7 (average) –

The district had three constituencies: Turkana North Constituency Turkana Central Constituency Turkana South Constituency

References

External links http://www.aridland.go.ke/bulletins/June%202006-Turkana.pdf http://www.aridland.go.ke/districts.asp?DistrictID=1 Map of the district