Ijara District
Encyclopedia
Ijara is an administrative district
in the North Eastern Province
of Kenya
. On May 20, 2000, it was carved out from another and larger Garissa District
. It covers an area of 11’332 km² and, according to the population census of 1999, has a population of 62,571 http://www.statoids.com/yke.html. It borders Garissa District
to the north, Lamu District
to the south, Tana River District
to the west, and Somalia
to the northeast. The district has one local authority, Ijara county council, and one constituency, Ijara
. The main economic livelihood of the inhabitants is pastoralism
and subsistence agriculture. Over 80% of the land is earmarked for livestock
production. There is potential for rain-fed agriculture but only a small proportion is utilized for commercial agriculture. Local communities settled in the district include the Awer hunter-gatherers and the pastoral Somali
Abdalla
.
, is managed by the Kenyan Wildlife Service as a protected conservation area. Other forest types are found along the Tana River
on the western border of the district.The district is also pivotal in the conservation of the critically endangered Hirola
population. A number of initiatives and conservancies have been established to that purpose, including the Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy
.
Districts of Kenya
The provinces of Kenya are subdivided into number of districts .- List of districts of Kenya :Following a High Court ruling in September 2009, there are 46 legal districts in Kenya :Coast Province:...
in the North Eastern Province
North Eastern Province (Kenya)
North Eastern Province is the third largest province in Kenya and has thirteen constituencies represented in the Kenya National Assembly.The region is home to a rare type of antelope called the Hirola, which is classified as an endangered species. The NFD's pastoralists also possess livestock in...
of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. On May 20, 2000, it was carved out from another and larger Garissa District
Garissa District
Garissa District is an administrative district in the North Eastern Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Garissa. The district has a population of 329,939...
. It covers an area of 11’332 km² and, according to the population census of 1999, has a population of 62,571 http://www.statoids.com/yke.html. It borders Garissa District
Garissa District
Garissa District is an administrative district in the North Eastern Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Garissa. The district has a population of 329,939...
to the north, Lamu District
Lamu District
Lamu District is a district of Kenya's Coast Province. Its district headquarters is Lamu town. The district covers a strip of northeastern coastal mainland and the Lamu Archipelago. Lamu District has a population of 72,686 and its land area is 6,167 km².There are extensive mangrove forests in...
to the south, Tana River District
Tana River District
Tana River District is a district of Coast Province, Kenya. It is named after the Tana River itself. It has an area of and a population of 180,901 according to the 1999 census. The district capital is Hola ....
to the west, and Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
to the northeast. The district has one local authority, Ijara county council, and one constituency, Ijara
Ijara
Ijara is a town in the North Eastern Province of Kenya. It is capital of the Ijara District. Ijara is a very remote town; it is located 100 km north of Lamu and 180 km south of Garissa....
. The main economic livelihood of the inhabitants is pastoralism
Pastoralism
Pastoralism or pastoral farming is the branch of agriculture concerned with the raising of livestock. It is animal husbandry: the care, tending and use of animals such as camels, goats, cattle, yaks, llamas, and sheep. It may have a mobile aspect, moving the herds in search of fresh pasture and...
and subsistence agriculture. Over 80% of the land is earmarked for livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
production. There is potential for rain-fed agriculture but only a small proportion is utilized for commercial agriculture. Local communities settled in the district include the Awer hunter-gatherers and the pastoral Somali
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
Abdalla
Abdalla
Abdalla refers to nomadic Somali pastoralists living in the Ijara District and Garissa District of the North Eastern Province , and the Badaade district of south-eastern Somalia. They belong to the Ogaden clan of the Somali Darod, and are Sunni Muslims.- References :* Antipa, R. S, Ali, M. H. and...
.
| Administrative divisions | ||||
| Division | Population* | Pop. density* | Area (km²) | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulugho | 20,831 | 4 | 5207,8 | |
| Ijara | 17,236 | 7 | 2462,3 | Ijara Ijara Ijara is a town in the North Eastern Province of Kenya. It is capital of the Ijara District. Ijara is a very remote town; it is located 100 km north of Lamu and 180 km south of Garissa.... |
| Masalani | 13,358 | 9 | 1484,2 | Masalani Masalani Masalani is a settlement in Kenya's North-Eastern Province. It is the headquarters of Ijara District. It is located on the Eastern shores of Tana River, 30 kilometres south of Hola and 60 kilometres north of Garsen... |
| Sangailu | 11,217 | 5 | 2243,4 | |
| Total | 62,624 | - | 11,397 | - |
Nature
Approximately one quarter of the district is covered by the Boni Forest, which is an indigenous open canopy forest and part of Northern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic http://www.eoearth.org/article/Northern_Zanzibar-Inhambane_coastal_forest_mosaic. A section of the forest, the Boni National ReserveBoni National Reserve
The Boni National Reserve is a national reserve for conservation and lies in the North Eastern Province of Kenya in the Ijara District. The reserve covers an area of and is managed by Kenya Wildlife Service. It was gazetted in 1976 as a dry season sanctuary for elephants in Ijara District, Lamu...
, is managed by the Kenyan Wildlife Service as a protected conservation area. Other forest types are found along the Tana River
Tana River (Kenya)
The long Tana River is the longest river in Kenya, and gives its name to the Tana River District. Its tributaries include the Thika. The river rises in the Aberdare Mountains to the west of Nyeri. Initially it runs east before turning south around the massif of Mount Kenya. The river then runs...
on the western border of the district.The district is also pivotal in the conservation of the critically endangered Hirola
Hirola
The Hirola is an antelope species found in arid grassy plains in a pocket on the border between Kenya and Somalia. It's the only member of the genus Beatragus.Hirola are known as the "four-eyed antelope," due to their large preorbital glands...
population. A number of initiatives and conservancies have been established to that purpose, including the Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy
Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy
The Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy is a community-based conservation area located in the Ijara District in the North Eastern Province of Kenya. The conservancy covers approximately 72 km2...
.
External links
- African Wild Dog Conservancy's community-based project in the Ijara District
- http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/VBOL-6UNHKM?OpenDocument
- Trans-boundary Environmental Project of Terra Nuova in north-eastern part of Kenya
- National Environmental Management Authority of Kenya