Lake Turkana, situated in the northwest of Kenya, has long been known as the birthplace of mankind. The region plays home to hominin fossils of some of humanity's earliest ancestors, dating back over four million years.
The Turkana Basin has seen the discovery of over a hundred Australopithecus fossils, a two-million year old skull belonging to Homo rudolfensis, and the Turkana Boy - a nearly-complete Homo ergaster juvenile's skeleton. A three and a half-million year old fossil of Kenyanthropus platyops - the earliest known tool-using species of homonid - was discovered in the region in 2015, while a series of major archaeological digs in Nataruk discovered the earliest known site of human warfare.
With Vision 2045 placing a large focus on northern Kenya, it would be prudent for the government to help preserve humanity's heritage in the region.
Effective immediately, the entire Turkana Basin will be declared a national cultural heritage site, with the Kenyan government petitioning for UNESCO to declare it a world heritage site. Certain areas will be opened up to development, especially for the Mandera-Lodwar corridor and the major power projects around the lake's southern shoreline, but for the most part Turkana County will remain pristine and open to archaeology.
The Kenyan government, in cooperation with Turkana County, will be issuing up to 100,000 tourist visas for the Turkana Basin each year, with an option for more should things progress smoothly. Proceeds will go towards funding the restoration and conservation of various archaeological sites in the region, as well as towards infrastructure projects across northern Kenya and education for the indigenous pastoralists and herders.
Harambee!
