Wajir’s dry delights

An aerial view of Wajir from an aircraft [Courtesy]

A long time ago (no one knows when exactly) a group of men were sitting under a tree; sheltering from the harsh afternoon sun in a town in the semi-arid North Eastern Kenya. Suddenly, out of nowhere, they heard a rustling noise. Terrified, they all scampered for safety, screaming at the top of their voices. After a brief moment, their elder, who was deemed to be the bravest among them yelled, ‘Wa-jeer!’ words that loosely translate to mean, ‘It’s a rat!’

That is the legend of Wajir town.

You are likely to hear different versions of this story, however, depending on who you ask. Or, you could be told a completely different one. Another common tale here is that the word ‘Wajir’ means coming together in the local Borana dialect. According to this tale, Wajir was the point of convergence for many pastoralists; where they watered their animals. Whichever is the truth, the reality is that Wajir exists in the present age. 

Available data shows that flying distance from Nairobi to Wajir is about 493 kilometres, while by road, it is 625.2 km, with large untarmacked sections after Garissa. A typical journey by bus lasts 12 hours. We opted for a flight and landed at Wajir International Airport shortly after nine in the morning. A cold dreary wind blows across the lobby at the airport’s arrival section. From 21,000 feet above sea level, Wajir exudes a rare kind of beauty. Vegetation is scarce and sparse; consisting of rotund shrubs and hardy twigs. That is not to say that it’s all doom and gloom in this land predominantly occupied by the Somali community.

A traditional manyatta for the local community [Courtesy]

History

Wajir, like any ancient town, has a very rich history. What is on record is that, in 1912, the British established the town to serve as a colonial headquarter. During the Second World War, Italian soldiers from Ethiopia invaded it seeking to oust the British. To repulse the Italians, the British built bunkers from which they launched retaliatory attacks. Those bunkers are presently located at different points within the town and make for enjoyable underground tunnels. On the ground, they look like protruding walls. You enter a tunnel at one point and exit at another; a kilometre (or so) away.

One of the bankers built and used by the British army during the colonial era [Courtesy]

These bunkers are famous sites that have attracted students of war who have camped in Wajir for weeks on end to learn about them.

Served by wells

It is not known why the British decided to set camp in Wajir. Maybe they had travelled for a long time and just needed a semblance of normal life. But whatever their reasons could have been, water is not one of them. Wajir is as arid as it can get. You can see and feel the dryness of the area even before the plane touches the ground. The town has no lakes, rivers or streams. To put it bluntly, Wajir is dry. It is said that the British dug out wells at different focal points around the town from which they satisfied their water needs. The situation is the same to date; locals still use the wells to get water for their domestic use. The wells, about 10 in total, are a tourist attraction.

Giraffes roam freely in Wajir [Courtesy]

Lake Yahud 

On the outskirts of the town is a KWS game reserve. The most common animal you are likely to see here is the giraffe, as well as unique species of birds hovering around. I am told that the big cats like cheetahs are also sighted regularly. Often, they are found on the edges of Lake Yahud in the afternoon. Yes, Wajir has a lake, but it is not what you are thinking. Lake Yahud it is not a real lake: it came into being as the airport was being built.

Water began seeping into the excavation, from where the material to build the runaway was collected until the crucible left behind filled up. The water in this body is salty. From the sky, Yahud looks nothing much than a gigantic swimming pool. Nevertheless, tourists love visiting the lake – perhaps to satisfy their curiosity as to how such a phenomenon happened.

Camel delicacy

Culinary specialities in Wajir include camel meat – boiled, roasted or fried. Traditionally, the women prepare small pieces of dried, spiced, salted and fried camel meat locally referred to as nyirinyiri. The traditional Somali community cherish camel milk – fresh or fermented (susac).

The camel is the most domesticated animal in the area [Courtesy]

You are also likely to eat arosto which is roasted goat meat with spices, accompanied with rice too whether as biryani or pilau. Not to forget the much famed eggless Somali pancake, anjera. All these are available at eateries and at hotels around the town – but they are few. Wajir Palace Hotel served us well. It could as well be the five star of the town; we learnt that nearly all tourists settle for it. You will find two or three other hotels with similar standards.