Loiyangalani

Loiyangalani
Town
Loiyangalani
Location in Kenya
Coordinates: 2°45′28″N 36°43′07″E / 2.75774°N 36.71865°E / 2.75774; 36.71865
Country Kenya
CountyMarsabit County
DivisionLoiyangalani Division
Population
 (2009)
 • Total5,117
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)

Loiyangalani is a small town located on the southeastern coast of Lake Turkana in Kenya.[1]

Description

The town has a population of 5,117.[2] Loiyangalani means "a place of many trees" in the native Samburu language. It is home to the Rendille and Elmollo People but now has other Kenyan communities like the Turkana, Luo, Meru, and Somali. The town was founded near a freshwater spring in the 1960s where the Rendille and El Molo people lived. Its main industries include fishing and tourism. It is a popular tourist destination in Northern Kenya.

The town has an airstrip and lies near Mount Kulal (50 km), known for its forest and stones. The town is sometimes spelled as Loyangalani.

Events

In June 2008, the 1st Cultural Festival took place at Loiyangalani and united all the tribes of Lake Turkana in celebration for one weekend.[3]

  • Loiyangalani was the setting for John le Carré's novel The Constant Gardener, and was also a location for the film of the same title.
  • Part of the events in the novel “Невозвращенец” (“The Non-Returnee”) by Andrei Gusev takes place in Loiyangalani. The novel describes several years of life in Kenya in the early 2020s of the Russian writer Andy and his wife Jennifer, who was born in Kenyan Kisumu.[4][5]

References

  1. "Archived copy". www.ilri.cgiar.org. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "CIDP Marsabit 2018-2022". Maarifa Centre. Archived from the original on 11 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  3. "Lake Turkana Festival, Loiyangalani". Magical Kenya. 15 June 2008. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  4. Review of “Невозвращенец” (“The Non-Returnee”) on the site of public fund "Union of writers of Moscow", 2023
  5. “Невозвращенец” (“The Non-Returnee”) by Andrei Gusev, 2022