Lamu Old Town
A Living Heritage
The oldest continuously inhabited town in Kenya and the best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa, Lamu Old Town has been shaped by over seven centuries of cultural exchange along the Indian Ocean. Founded as a key trading and cultural centre, it brought together influences from Africa, Arabia, Persia, India, and Europe, forging a distinctive Swahili urban form expressed in its narrow winding streets, coral-stone houses, carved wooden doors, courtyards, and mosques. Beyond its built environment, Lamu remains a living town sustained by language, poetry, music, craftsmanship, and shared spaces, with skills such as wood carving, dhow building, and coral-stone construction still practiced and passed down through generations. Its role as a religious and intellectual hub continues today through Islamic education and annual events such as the Maulidi and Lamu Cultural Festivals.
A Changing Climate
Climate change is intensifying sea-level rise, coastal flooding, and erosion, threatening Lamu's historic buildings and infrastructure. Rising salinity from seawater is accelerating the deterioration of coral-stone structures, causing cracks and partial collapse in several historic Swahili houses, while heavy rainfall weakens rooftops, walls, and timber. Saltwater intrusion is also affecting freshwater sources, and changing weather patterns continue to disrupt local livelihoods closely tied to the sea, mangroves, and the wider archipelago ecosystem.
A Path Forward
Community-based organizations like Flipflopi are already taking action through mangrove planting and community education, efforts supported by the Kenyan government's restrictions on mangrove harvesting. By joining the Preserving Legacies 2026 Cohort, Lamu Old Town will gain the expertise, guidance, and tools needed to better understand climate risks, strengthen local capacity, and connect its custodians to a wider network of support, ensuring this cradle of Swahili civilization can be safeguarded for future generations.
