TURKANA, Kenya – If you decided to visit the untamed and rocky shores of Lake Turkana a few years ago, you could notice that the area around Sibiloi National Park was a rich cultural gem just waiting to be discovered.
Diverse cultures flourished here, providing a holistic experience of Kenya’s rich cultural legacy.
It was easy to meet the El-Molo people in Loiyangalani, observe their distinctive life methods, tour the Turkana and Dasanach community homesteads, and visit the Gabra Homestead on your journey.
This was more than just a trip; it was an opportunity to engage with long-standing customs and feel the resilient spirit of these societies.
The ‘people of the lake,’ or El-Molo, are a Cushitic tribe. They are the smallest and almost extinct ethnic group in northern Kenya, with a population of about 2844.
Among the pastoral tribes surrounding Lake Turkana in the Loiyangalani Division of Marsabit County, primarily semi-nomadic, they are the most adept and resilient fishers.
However, Alexander Lenapir, a member of the El Molo tribe born in 1958, has witnessed the gradual destruction of his culture due to migration, intermarriage, and, more recently, climate change.
Why members of the El Molo sub-tribe are losing their land
Additionally, the El Molo are losing their ancestral lands and sacred locations. Over ten years, Lake Turkana’s water levels have increased, engulfing thousands of square kilometres of land and causing the lake to enlarge by 10%.
“In the past, there wasn’t any worry here. It hasn’t flooded this far, but the water has completely flooded our villages. There used to be roads here. But now there is only water here. Most of our people have just disappeared,” said Lenapir.
As the frequency and intensity of the rains increased, the lake expanded and significantly altered the terrain. The village of Lenapir was abruptly moved to an island.
As a result, many were compelled to relocate. Others were forced to make significant changes.
Their freshwater pumping was also affected, and the route to the mainland was flooded.
Now, they get their water from the lake, which leaves them vulnerable to diseases.
Like most of the local population, Lenapir has spent most of his life fishing, but unfortunately, the lake’s expansion has severely damaged his livelihood.
He used to catch 100 fish a day before the water rose, but now he only averages about ten.
Although the boats only travel short distances, fish can be discovered in deep waters.
These lives are strained because fewer fish translate into less money.
How the current climate crisis has affected El Molo students
The lives of children were also impacted. A minimum of two schools are partially flooded.
Students who used to walk to school, such as Florence, Napir’s granddaughter and her classmates, can now only get there by boat.
“In the past, we could walk to school, but when the rains turned our land into an island, the roads became impassable. Then the county government provided boats for us to get there,” said Florence Napir.
The El Molo, also known as Elmolo, Dehes, Fura-Pawa, and Ldes, reside between Mount Kulal and El Molo Bay on the southeast sides of Lake Turkana.
Originally residing north of Lake Turkana, they were compelled to relocate south to the small islands by the other tribes.
Around 1000 BC, they left Ethiopia in the northern Horn region and moved south into the Lake Turkana basin area.
School disruption is one of the effects of global warming that is frequently disregarded. It threatens teachers’ and children’s psychological health and physical safety.
At Turkana County’s El Molo Bay Primary School, Richard Smarron serves as the principal.
He has noticed a decline in both attendance and intellectual achievement. The once-packed classrooms are frequently deserted.
What is the historical set-up of the El Molo people
After more than two decades of teaching, Smarron has never seen anything like this.
“Climate change is threatening the existence of the El Molo tribe because we fully depend on the lake for food. If we don’t have this, we will suffer. We have fish to sell and balanced meals. It is not only part of the lake submerged but also the water pipes that destroyed our access to fresh drinking water,” explained Smarron.
But the El Molo are still fighting to uphold their traditions, customs, and culture.
Historically, the El Molo erected tomb structures where they placed their dead.
A 1962 archaeological survey in the Northern Frontier District led by S. Brodribb Pughe observed hieroglyphics on several of these constructions. They were mainly found near springs or wells.
Many members of the El Molo community practice a traditional religion centred on the worship of Waaq/Wakh.
In the related Oromo culture, Waaq denotes the single God of the early pre-Abrahamic, monotheistic faith believed to have been adhered to by Cushitic groups.
Most families have intermarried with other tribes in the area, including the Turkana, Samburu, and Rendille, even though up to 2,000 people call themselves El Molo.
This has also weakened their distinct identity. They are trying to find ways to make things more manageable because they want to keep what they have.
What experts think about the climate crisis around Lake Turkana
Climate scientist Francis Mundia works out of the Lake Turkana Basin.
According to him, planting trees will be a straightforward but modest first step in the correct direction.
“It will reduce the levels of water going into Lake Turkana and the soil erosion that also goes into Lake Turkana. And so, once this one is done, the water levels will reduce because less water is going to the lake.
The El Molo community has yet to make a decision. Planting trees may also require giving up agricultural land, and most crucially, according to Mundia of the Kenya Meteorological Department, it won’t help right now.
Florence is now concerned about the situation. She wants to become a doctor, but she fears that the impacts of the climate catastrophe would prevent her from ever realising her ambition.
“I fear for my future because of the schools and the rising water levels. I won’t be able to get an education,” Florence laments.
This small community’s face amply illustrates how severe the climate crisis is.
If nothing is done, the El Molo, who have inhabited this region for over 2,000 years, may disappear in just ten years.
