5 Iconic North-Eastern Towns and their Profound Names 

In Mandera County, Kenya’s most northeastern county, is Mandera town.  Pronounced as Mandheera in Somali, the town is the largest urban centre in the region and the headquarters of the county. Its name is historically believed to have been derived from Madheer, a fruit plant that grows in the dry parts of tropical Africa and is very common in Mandera. Madheer is locally used as food and medicine, and when it flowers, its beautiful petals fill Mandera’s air with its sweet scent. 

As you progress eastwards towards Kenya’s international border to Somalia, you find El Wak town. Its name is a Somali word that translates to “the wells of God.” This is because El Wak town is endowed with over 50 wells that date back to the 17th century. The wells are 60 m deep and interconnected, making it impossible to believe that the patterns are naturally occurring. They are intricate and meticulous, and you are more likely to assume that they were carved out architecturally. El Wak is also known as “the white city” because of its dazzling white sandy soils. 

Still on Kenya’s international border to Somalia but northeast of El Wak lies Lafey town which is sandwiched by El Wak and Mandera towns. The town’s name is believed to have been derived from both the Borana and Somali words for “bone”: “lafee-ni” and “lafo”, respectively. 

In Wajir County, you will find the third oldest town in Kenya after Malindi and Mombasa: Wajir. Wajir is a Borana word that translates to “coming together”. Wajir town bears that name because it is the very place where the different clans of pastoral communities, especially from the Somali community who inhabit the region, gathered at the well-watered, although shallow drinking points that dot the region’s landscape and underground reserves. After days of moving around looking for pasture, Wajir is where they would converge to quench their thirst.  

A section of Wajir – Image from Nation

Still in Wajir County is Habaswein town. This town is abounding with water as it is endowed with lakes and streams. For this, it is treasured by the Somalis who live there such that they have named it “the land of honey and milk”. However, Habaswein’s name is the Somali word for “heavy dust” due to how blanketed with dust it gets during the cold and dry seasons. 

Are you from Northeastern Kenya or have ever visited the region? Shout a town out and the meaning of its name in the comments. 

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