Migori’s ancient fort seizes global limelight

Two exit points at Thimlich Ohinga. The historical site has found its way into Unesco’s heritage list. PHOTO | ELISHA OTIENO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  ELISHA OTIENO

What you need to know:

  • The fortress was among three new sites awarded the world heritage status by Unesco, the UN cultural body last Friday.
  • This historical site almost resembles the ruins of the Great Zimbabwe in southern Africa.
  • The walls are built of loose stones and blocks without any dressing or mortar.

Migori’s ancient stone-walled fortress, known locally as Thimlich Ohinga, has found its way into Unesco’s heritage list, sparking hope for a rise in tourism fortunes for the county.

The fortress, thought to have been used by ancient inhabitants in the area to guard against attacks and protect their livestock, was among three new sites awarded the world heritage status by Unesco, the UN cultural body last Friday.

This means the local authorities can leverage on the new status to market the site as a window into the Luo community’s history.

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On Monday Migori County Director of Communications Nicholas Anyuor said the new development has challenged the administration to improve the site and make it easier for tourists to visit.

TAKE ADVANTAGE

“We are going to improve roads leading to Thimlich Ohinga. We must take advantage of the latest recognition by Unesco because tourism is wholly devolved,” he told the Nation.

Thimlich Ohinga, an ancient settlement in Nyatike Sub-County, was probably built in the 16th century. However, it has not attracted as much tourism as would be expected due to bad roads. Little has changed since the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) took over its management in the 1980s.

Thimlich Ohinga, which can be loosely translated to mean “frightening dense forest”, is made up of stone walls ranging from a metre to about four-and-a-half metres. The walls are built of loose stones and blocks without any dressing or mortar.

This historical site almost resembles the ruins of the Great Zimbabwe in southern Africa.

BENDING

To gain entry into the fortress, one is forced to bend because the opening to is tiny. “The entrance was made tiny intentionally,” says Mr  Silas Nyagweth, an NMK employee who is also the in charge of the site.

He added: “The doors were made that short to ensure that by the time the enemy got inside, he was less stable as he was still bending. The guards could then easily overpower him”.

Thimlich Ohinga has always been a subject of research, yet none has come up with an exact explanation as to how the ancient man, always dismissed for his perceived ‘backwardness’, could have come up with such an imposing structure. 

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