Lamu Fort is a stronghold in Lamu, Kenya’s northeastern town. The fort initially positioned on the coastline, is now located in the heart of town, about 70 meters (230 feet) from the significant jetty on the shore.
Lamu Fort was constructed with Omani aid between 1813 and 1821. It served as a base for the Omanis to cement their dominance of the East African coast at first. Still, the town’s economic importance faded with time. The fort was utilized as a prison throughout the British colonial period and after Kenya’s independence. It now includes an environmental museum and library and is a popular venue for community gatherings.
Building
The Lamu Fort is a defensive building built in the southeast corner of Lamu’s historic stone town.
The fort was constructed next to the Pwani Mosque, Lamu’s oldest known mosque, dating back to the 14th century.
The fort was initially located on the waterfront, which ran parallel to the town’s main street but has since receded.
The fort was described by Thomas Boteler, who visited Lamu in 1823, as “a vast square construction, with a tower at each corner, but made so weakly that the discharge of its honeycombed cannon would almost certainly bring the whole fabric to the ground.” It included a “large vaulted entrance… [and] three storeys of balconies supported by arches on the inside.” The fort was “one hundred yards square, and enclosed by walls from forty to fifty feet high,” according to Captain W. F. W. Owen, who visited at the same time.
The fort is now located in the heart of the town. It’s roughly 70 meters (230 feet) away from the main jetty on the beach. The fort is now a sizeable two-story stone structure. The squat and muscular tower stands in stark contrast to the town’s exquisite Swahili architecture.
History
Fumomadi, Sultan of Pate, appears to have begun construction on the fort.
In an uneasy collaboration with Pate, Mazrui commander Abdalla bin Hemed was also involved in the construction.
A single level was erected, but progress was suspended after Funomadi’s death in 1809.
At the Battle of Shela in 1812, Lamu defeated the soldiers of Pate and Mombasa in an unexpected victory. They requested assistance from Oman due to the ongoing threat. Sultan of Muscat and Oman Claimed bin Sultan (r. 1804–1856) has helped with the new construction, which began in 1813 and was completed about 1821.
In 1892, there was a market outside the Lamu fort. Adolph Jacob Hertz (1865–1912) was a photographer who lived from 1865 to 1912.
Around 1814, Sultan Sayyid Said bin Sultan dispatched a governor to Lamu.
He provided a Baluchi garrison to guard them. “About twenty Muscat soldiers, lying on the stone benches on either side, with eye concentrated on vacancy, and armed with their shields, swords, and pikes,” according to Boteler. An extensive collection of matchlocks hung from the ceiling above them, resembling those used by early small-armsmen in England.” On the other hand, the fort’s security promoted expansion surrounding it in the nineteenth century, including a shopfront.
In the years following the fort’s construction, Lamu’s influence in the Lamu Archipelago expanded at the expense of Pate.
The Sultan used Lamu Fort to crush the Mazrui rebels in Mombasa and gain control of the East African coast. He relocated his sultanate’s capital to Zanzibar. Lamu’s economic importance quickly deteriorated compared to Mombasa and Zanzibar when its strategic value was lost.
The British colonial authorities converted Lamu Fort into a jail in 1910.
In the 1950s, the fort was used to house Mau Mau inmates.
After Kenya’s independence in 1964, the fort was utilized as a jail until 1984. It was later donated to Kenya’s National Museums, which, with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, transformed the fort into a museum. On May 15, 1984, the Lamu Fort designated a scheduled monument. The restoration was done with care. In 1993, a temporary exhibition was opened.
The fort now houses a museum on the bottom floor with an exhibition focusing on environmental conservation. Meetings, weddings, and public performances are held in the courtyard by the local community. On the second floor, there are offices, laboratories, a workshop, and a conference space that may be rented. The fort has a library with an extensive collection of Swahili poetry and Lamu reference books. The fort’s ramparts provide panoramic views of the town.