Lamu-Shella sand dunes’ bewitching effect

Patrick Beja

They are beautiful and are believed to hold the present and the future of Lamu Old Town, listed as a world heritage site.

They hug the sea and tower above the southern end of the historical island so prominently that they are visible as one rides on a boat along the Mkanda channel several miles away.

The Lamu-Shella sand dunes are a sight to behold. The mass of white sand is so shinny, tall, clean and beautiful to bewitch any visitor. A 15-minute boat ride from Lamu through the upmarket Shella village, home to some of the most expensive hotels in the north Coast, takes you past the amazing mountains of sand dunes.

It is also common to find villagers scooping sand from the beach and carrying it on donkey backs. But it is the beauty of the sand dunes that catches the eye. Appearing like well made beds; they give an impression of a product of perfect sifting.

Yet it is difficult to walk through the dunes on shoes, one is advised to remove their shoes before setting foot on the quick sand behind the beach. Yet you have to maintain measured steps or risk getting tired before long.

Protection

When a team from the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) led by Board of Directors chairman Mr Issa Timamy took journalists round the dunes recently they were barefoot. For years, developers have targeted the sand dunes for construction purposes, but have been thwarted by NMK.

The Lamu-Shella sand dunes are found at the north Coast and run through to the southern end of Lamu Island. They stretch about 12 km covering 958 hectares.

The dunes rise to about 60 metres above sea level forming a continuous ridge along the Lamu Bay.

Conservationists say the dunes have protected Lamu against strong winds from the open sea. For instance, it is believed they shielded the island from the deadly Tsunami in 2006.

Apart from being a shield, the sand dunes have since 1950s been found to have hydrological attributes, leading to their gazettement as a water catchment area in March 2002.

Reports indicate that the colonial government carried out an underground water study in 1953, leading to the sinking of 20 wells there. Between 1983 and 2002 technical and scientific studies conducted on the sand dunes recommended the preservation of the fresh water aquifers for the future survival of the settlements on the island.