Chapter 107: Lake Turkana
December 5, 1867.
As the end of the year approached, colonial operations began to ease. East Africa was no longer the barren land it had been two years earlier (since the initial landing at Dar es Salaam on February 1, 1865).
Now, everything ran with an established system, reducing unnecessary trouble. Immigration management had become more streamlined, simply replicating past successes.
With some breathing room at year's end, the colony turned its attention north.
Though southern Kenya had been occupied, northern Kenya still lay untouched.
As for the northwest, the plague persisted. Even in the best-case scenario, action would have to wait until next year.
Northern Kenya's natural conditions were far inferior to the south's.
Rainfall was low, creating a landscape where deserts and grasslands coexisted.
But the East African colony was not picky. Where there's grassland, there's rain—and small deserts could be tolerated.
Northern rainfall averaged between 300 and 400 mm annually, with some areas reaching 500–600 mm. The driest zones saw less than 200 mm.
This was not bad—enough for drought-tolerant crops and livestock farming, provided the desert and arid regions near northeast Somalia were avoided.
Topography and ocean currents influenced rainfall.
The northwest was flat, while southeastern trade winds blew moist air from the Indian Ocean inland.
At Lake Victoria, the land rises sharply, creating heavy rainfall on the southwestern Kenya highlands.
After crossing the equator, those southeast trade winds turned into southwest winds due to the Coriolis effect. By the time they reached northeastern Kenya, they had lost most of their moisture.
Northeast trade winds, originating from the Arabian Peninsula, crossed the continent with little water vapor.
The northeast's flat coastal plains offered no barrier to retain moisture, and cold summer currents further cooled and dried the air—creating a non-zonal tropical desert.
Ethiopia provided a clear contrast.
Its highlands intercepted the southwest monsoons, providing abundant rainfall and even large wetland systems downstream.
...
Lake Turkana.
This border lake between Kenya and Ethiopia lies in northwestern Kenya.
It is Africa's fourth-largest lake—after Lake Victoria (the Great Lake), Lake Tanganyika (Soren), and Lake Malawi.
Henriette (a character introduced in Chapter 57) led an expedition to explore northwest Kenya.
Compared to a year ago, conditions had improved greatly.
Resupplied at the coffee plantations near Mount Kenya, Henriette and her team began their journey to conquer the region.
Before them now lay the shimmering blue waters of Lake Turkana.
"What a beautiful lake. It's even more majestic than Lake Tanganyika," Henriette marveled.
Lake Turkana's impact lay not only in its blue-green hue, but in its dramatic contrast to the surrounding desert and grasslands—creating a stunning visual effect.
"Captain, we should keep going. Looking from south to north, this lake clearly stretches far beyond what we see. This may be another lake on par with Africa's big three," said Andy, a team member.
"Yes, let's press on. This could be another major discovery—one that earns us a place in history," Henriette replied.
Andy was absolutely right. Lake Turkana is roughly 200 km long north to south. Even moving at full speed, it would take days to reach its northern end.
...
In the following days, Henriette's team marched north along the lake, recording its ecological, climatic, and hydrological characteristics.
Locals called it Lake Turkana.
Its waters were alkaline, teeming with blue-green algae, giving it its unique color.
It housed Nile crocodiles, hippos, and various fish species.
Hundreds of bird species thrived nearby—Henriette and her crew spotted over a hundred, though the actual number exceeds 300.
On the seventh day, they reached the lake's northern shore and discovered its main water source: the Omo River.
Originating in Ethiopia, the river flowed through rainy highlands, carrying abundant water.
Its narrow upper course expanded downstream, with the lower river reaching widths of 150–200 meters—a rarity in East Africa.
Ninety percent of Lake Turkana's water came from the Omo, which explained how the lake could remain stable in the desert.
Henriette's team documented the Omo's geography and hydrology in detail.
Its lower reaches offered fertile land—vastly superior to the lake's arid surroundings.
The Omo's downstream area alone could support at least 200,000 people.
Thus, the Omo's lower basin and Lake Turkana were declared core development zones of the East African colony.
In the future, the colony would likely encroach upstream to secure the entire watershed.
This wasn't paranoia.
In Ernst's previous life, Ethiopia had already set a precedent.
To boost power generation, they built a series of dams upstream on the Omo—shrinking the downstream flow and depleting Lake Turkana.
But most of the lake lies within Kenya.
The Ethiopian government showed no concern for Kenyans dependent on the lake.
Reduced water led to collapsed fisheries and tribal conflicts over dwindling fishing rights.
Hence, Ernst demanded that most of the Omo River basin be placed under East Africa's control—to guarantee water security.
At this time, Ethiopia was still the Abyssinian Empire, and its grip on the south was weak.
It also faced pressure from Western powers like Britain.
In 1863, Emperor Tewodros II of Abyssinia made a foolish move:
After receiving no reply from Queen Victoria (he had requested British cooperation against Egypt and the Ottoman Empire), he kidnapped British diplomats and 58 Europeans.
Ernst admired the boldness—but what came next was shocking.
After Britain sent a letter via an Iraqi agent, Tewodros released the hostages.
But soon after, he reversed course and recaptured them—demanding British engineers and machines in exchange.
Britain, at the height of its power, wouldn't tolerate such humiliation.
By December 1867—the very month Henriette explored Lake Turkana and the Omo—British forces had already gathered in Bombay for an expedition against Abyssinia.
Tewodros and his empire were doomed. (The British would loot many treasures, including his crown. Tewodros ultimately committed suicide after defeat.)
The ensuing war would give Ernst the perfect chance to expand East Africa's reach into the Omo River valley.
After Tewodros's death, Abyssinia fell into several years of internal conflict—posing no threat to East Africa during that time.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10