Port Harcourt in Southern Nigeria is one of the most polluted places on earth and the center of the largest oil spill on earth.

Nigeria's oil industry has been a major source of environmental damage. Shell is to pay 15.9 million USD to Nigerian farmers over oil damage where oil pollution continues to damage the health and livelihoods of many in the area. Nigeria’s crude oil and natural gas exports earned $55 billion in 2018.

Land soaked in oil, oil companies are accused of negligence in the Niger Delta that has deep oil and gas reserves. Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa, there are hundreds of oil fields in the Niger Delta, one of the largest in the world. After suffering the effects of major pollution for decades, people have turned to the courts for justice. 

Since 2008, the Netherlands branch of Milieudefensie also known as Friends of the Earth along with four Nigerian farmers have been fighting the oil spill case against Shell. In 2021 a Dutch court in the Hague ruled that the Nigerian branch of Shell must compensate farmers and the community. The money will be going to communities in Oruma, Goi and Ikot Ada Udo in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. The oil spills in this case happened between 2004 to 2007.

For over 50 years Port Harcourt in Southern Nigeria has been the center of Nigeria’s petroleum industry. Oil spills have left a 27,000 square-mile region of swamps, creeks and mangrove forests in southeastern Nigeria one of the most polluted places on earth. The bulk of Nigeria’s oil production has been coming from deep-water fields. 

Oil spill after oil spill has turned the Niger Delta, in southern Nigeria into one of the most polluted places on Earth where oil spills create chemicals and heavy metals like mercury, lead and chromium and leak into the farmland. 

Shell has agreed to pay nearly 16 million USD Nigerian farmers and their communities to compensate for damage presumably caused by pollution coming from multiple oil pipeline leaks in its oil pipelines. Nigeria has been the stage of the largest oil spill on earth.

The four farmers who began the case - Barizaa Dooh, Elder Friday Alfred Akpan, Chief Fidelis A Oguru and Alali Efanga - said the leaks from underground oil pipelines had cost them their livelihoods by contaminating their fields and their fish farming ponds.

As well as compensation, last year's court ruling ordered Shell to set up a leak early detection system and the use of bioremediation technology. Bioremediation is the use of either naturally occurring or deliberately introduced microorganisms or other forms of life to consume and break down environmental pollutants to help clean-up polluted land and water.

Alali Efanga, one of the Nigerian farmers who, along with Friends of the Earth Netherlands, brought the case against Shell: “This ruling offers hope that Shell will finally begin to restore the soil around my village so that I will once again be able to take up farming and fishing on my own land .”

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Cape Coast Slave Castle in Ghana

My Visit to Ghana’s Slave Castles: A Review From Someone Who Walked Through the History

I recently traveled to Ghana and visited the three largest slave castles on the country’s coast—Cape Coast Castle, Elmina Castle, and Fort St. Jago. Before this trip, I had read about the transatlantic slave trade. I had seen photos. I had studied timelines. But nothing prepared me for standing inside those stone walls, touching their damp floors, or stepping into the dungeons where millions of Africans were imprisoned.

What I witnessed is difficult to put into words. These castles are not just historical sites; they are places where grief and memory still cling to the air. My review reflects what I saw, what the guides explained, and what I felt as a visitor seeking to understand a world-shaping tragedy at its source.

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The Weight of the History

Between 1482 and 1786, European powers built more than 40 coastal forts and slave castles along what was then called the Gold Coast. These sites held gold, ivory, spices—and later, millions of enslaved African men, women, and children. They were marched from inland regions, sorted, branded, imprisoned, and shipped across the Atlantic to slavery in the Americas.

The castles were engineered for profit, not humanity. The guides made that clear from the moment we entered.

Cape Coast Castle, Ghana – Photo from my visit

Cape Coast Castle

Built by the Portuguese in the 15th century and expanded by the British, Cape Coast Castle is the largest and most recognized of Ghana’s slave castles. My guide led us down a narrow stairwell into the dungeons. The air was cold and stale. The walls were scarred with centuries of human suffering. Up to 1,000 enslaved people were once crammed into these chambers at a time with almost no ventilation and only one tiny window.

Above these dungeons, European officials lived in airy rooms overlooking the sea. The contrast felt unbearable.

Elmina Castle

Elmina Castle, built in 1482 by the Portuguese, is the oldest European building in West Africa. Standing in its courtyard, I could almost hear the echoes of the countless lives forced through its gates.

Elmina once processed as many as 30,000 enslaved Africans per year. The tour takes you through the women’s dungeon, the governor’s balcony, and the infamous “Door of No Return,” where Africans were forced onto ships bound for the Americas.

Fort St. Jago

Fort St. Jago sits on a hill opposite Elmina Castle. It was originally a military stronghold and lookout. From the top, the view is beautiful—almost painfully so. But the guide reminded us this vantage point was used to monitor ships, resist rival European powers, and tighten control over the slave trade.

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What the Guides Want Every Visitor to Remember

My guide said something I will never forget:

“This place was built to break people. It is now here to teach people.”

The castles are UNESCO World Heritage Sites today, but they remain active memorials. The guides share vivid, verified historical accounts—how enslaved people were punished, how they resisted, and how they were traded for guns, textiles, beads, alcohol, and manufactured goods. They also speak honestly about the role some African kingdoms—including the powerful Ashanti Empire—played in capturing and selling other Africans.

This nuance matters. It presents a fuller, harder truth about global slavery: it was a system of European exploitation, built on both external demand and internal political dynamics.

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Walking Through the Door of No Return

The most emotional moment of the tour came when we reached the Door of No Return at Cape Coast Castle. I stood in the doorway, staring out at the Atlantic. Waves crashed against the rocks. The tide rolled in. It hit me that millions of people had seen this same view but were never allowed to return home.

No book, documentary, or museum exhibit can replicate that feeling.

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Fort Metal Cross and the Wider Network

The guide explained that Ghana once held around 40 slave forts and castles, built and occupied by Portuguese, Dutch, British, German, Danish, Swedish, and Spanish traders. Fort Metal Cross in Dixcove, built by the Dutch in the 17th century, also played a role: part military post, part commercial warehouse, and part holding facility for enslaved Africans.

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Why These Sites Matter Today

Ghana’s castles do not exist simply to remind visitors of tragedy. They also teach about resistance, survival, and human dignity. They force us to confront how the slave trade shaped the world—and how its consequences still ripple through Africa, the Americas, and Europe.

I ended my tour with the same quote that appears at the museum:

"Slavery is not something from the past. It still has tragic consequences today." — Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO

Visiting these castles is emotional, difficult, and necessary. It is history you feel in your body as much as you learn with your mind. If you travel to Ghana, I urge you to go—not as a tourist, but as a witness.

The traditional South African practitioner culturally still plays an important role in 70 percent of patients in South Africa, especially through the use of  Traditional Surgeons.

True Traditional health practitioners in South Africa Explained.

A traditional South African practitioner, also known as a sangoma or inyanga, is a practitioner of traditional African medicine in South Africa. These healers are highly respected members of their communities and are believed to be able to communicate with the spiritual world to provide healing and guidance to their clients.

Sangomas use traditional herbs, rituals, and divination techniques to diagnose and treat physical and spiritual illnesses. They are also believed to have the ability to connect with ancestral spirits, who can provide wisdom and guidance to the living.

Inyanga, on the other hand, specializes in herbal medicine and is known to prescribe various plant-based remedies to their patients. They may also use divination methods to diagnose illnesses and determine the most effective course of treatment.

Traditional South African practitioners are important to the country's cultural heritage. They are recognized by the government as important contributors to the health and well-being of their communities.

After a long training period, men and women take up the Traditional practitioner profession. The Traditional Healer may act as a therapist for issues of health, luck, love, dreams, sexual problems, or business ventures.

Traditional healing  African techniques, principles, theories, ideologies, beliefs, opinions and customs, and uses of medicines come from the ancestors. 

They all carry on their personal charms of numerous kinds to have power over the demons of disease. Some Traditional Healers use good magic as a cure because they believe that illnesses, including psychological issues, have supernatural origins. South Africa's Traditional Health Practitioners Act, 2007 established accredited Traditional Healing institutions and certified Traditional Healers. 

A true healer cannot participate in any action that can harm or negatively influence another person and believes God has the ultimate power; it is a spiritual calling. Traditional healing is linked to wider belief systems and remains integral to the lives of most Africans. People consult Traditional Healers whether or not they can afford medical services.

Definition of Traditional Health Practices.

Traditional health practice means the performance of a function, activity, process, or service based on a traditional philosophy that includes the utilization of traditional medicine or traditional practice by the maintenance or restoration of physical or mental health or function, the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a physical or mental illness, the rehabilitation of a person to enable that person to resume normal functioning within the family or community, the physical or mental preparation of an individual for puberty, adulthood, pregnancy, childbirth,     and death.

Categories of Traditional health practitioners in South Africa.

Traditional practitioner medicine - an object or substance used in traditional health practice for the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a physical or mental illness or any medicinal or therapeutic purpose, including maintaining or restoring physical or mental health or well-being in human beings. 

Subcategories of Traditional Medicine are:

Igqira elokuqubula—Massage therapist Traditional Healer

Igqira elokuqapula—Traditional Healer who vaccinates

Traditional healing philosophy- indigenous African techniques, principles, theories, ideologies, beliefs, opinions and customs, and uses of traditional medicines communicated from ancestors to descendants or from generations to generation, with or without written documentation, whether supported by science or not and which are generally used in traditional health practice.

Subcategories of Traditional philosophy are:

Igqira elemiciza—Traditional healer of herbs.

Isanuse—Traditional Healer Diviner of secrets.

Igqira elemishologu—Spiritual Traditional Healer

Igqira eliligogo—Traditional Healer who can see into the future

Igqira elamatambo—Traditional Healer who uses bones

Igqira elilicamagu—Traditional Healer faith healer

Traditional healing surgeon- healthcare practitioner at registered initiation schools who performs circumcisions and other cultural practices. 

The practices of traditional African healing are rooted in the techniques, principles, theories, ideologies, beliefs, opinions, and customs passed down from ancestors. Traditional African healing involves using medicines and healing practices that have been used for generations, often passed down through oral traditions and cultural practices.

The principles of traditional African healing are deeply rooted in the belief that all aspects of life are interconnected and that an individual's physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being must be balanced to achieve overall health. Traditional African healing practices incorporate the use of natural remedies, such as herbs, roots, and barks, as well as spiritual practices, such as prayer, meditation, and ritual.

The use of traditional African healing practices varies across different regions and communities, reflecting the diversity of the African continent. Some practices, such as using herbal medicines, are common across many African cultures, while others are unique to specific communities.

Traditional African healing practices have faced challenges from modern Western medicine, often seen as more advanced and effective. However, in recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of traditional African healing practices, particularly in the areas of mental health and holistic healing.

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New Years Day Black-Eyed Pea Casserole is New Year Day comfort food.

Eating black-eyed peas on New Year Day is a stable New Year is tradition. The tradition spread after the American Civil War. Black-eyed peas, dried significantly expand in volume when cooked and symbolize expanding good look throughout the year. 

During General William Tecumseh Sherman march, the United States Union Army devastated the Confederate Army food supplies but left dried black-eyed peas and hog meat. 

The Confederate soldiers thus felt lucky to have these supplies.

There is evidence that people ate black-eyed peas for luck as early as 500 A.D. as a part of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

New Years Day Black-Eyed Pea Casserole

Ingredients

1 tablespoon melted butter.

3 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed.

1 cup cooked white rice.

2/3 cup dried breadcrumbs.

1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese.

2 large chicken eggs.

4 large shallots, finely chopped.

2 large ripe tomatoes, diced.

1 large white onion, finely chopped.

2 cloves garlic, minced.

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves.

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves.

2 Maggie cubes.

½ teaspoon black pepper.

1 cup cottage cheese, preferably small curd.

1 cup regular full-fat plain yogurt.

1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth.

Finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon.

Directions

In a large bowl add all ingredients except breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, mix well. Turn into buttered a 9x13-inch casserole baking-dish and dot top with butter. Mix Parmesan cheese with breadcrumbs to form crust and sprinkle evenly over the black-eyed pea dish. Bake until the top is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Did you know?

Black-eyed peas also commonly referred to as Cowpeas or niébé originated in Africa and are widely grown around the world. Niébé, a variety of cowpea is a drought-resistant bean that thrives even in the dry, arid soils.

Three Black-Eyed Peas Facts.

Black-eyed peas are grown and eaten throughout the world, especially in Asia, South and Central America, the Caribbean, the United States, the Middle East, and Southern Europe.

Nigeria is the world’s leading black-eyed peas-producing country; Senegal, Niger, Ghana, Mali, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso are significant also significant producers.

Black-eyed peas get their name from their characteristic appearance of a black dot in the middle of a cream-colored bean.

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Hippopotamus teeth are traded legally and illegally. One hippo tooth can fetch up to $600. Hong Kong is the largest market for Hippopotamus teeth which are used as ivory after the hard enamel is removed.

Hippopotamus are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa but that does not stop the legal and illegal black market trade in hippopotamus teeth. 

One hippo tooth can fetch up to $600. Hong Kong is the largest market for hippo teeth where an increased demand for ivory from hippos hippo teeth are often used for jewelry, piano keys, chess pieces, furniture inlays, hunting trophies and other art items.

Hippopotamus teeth

Trading Hippopotamus Teeth For Cash

You may think of ivory from elephant tusks but hippo teeth are made of ivory also. Hippopotamus teeth are used as ivory after the thick, hard enamel layer is removed. Elephant teeth are up to 6 feet long while hippo teeth are up to 2 feet long. 

Hippo teeth tusks are used like elephant ivory for carved decorations. Hippos also have the largest teeth of all land animals. Additionally, other parts of both animals such as feet and skulls are valued as statement or souvenir items. 

Hippopotamus have a low birth rate, female hippos have only one calf every two years, so a reduction in population size can have a long-term impact.

In 2006, it was estimated that only between 125,000 and 150,000 hippos existed, a statistic that prompted the International Union for Conservation of Nature to list the hippopotamus as a vulnerable species.

Hippo teeth are traded legally and illegally

Hippo teeth are traded legally and illegally. Those who are caught in the illegal trade in Africa can be sentenced to spend 2 to 5 years for illegally possessing wildlife products. Hippo teeth can still be traded under CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora founded in 1973 though all international sales require an export permit.

CITES is an international treaty between governments to ensure that trade does not cause species to become extinct. It operates using a permit system depending on how endangered the animal or plant. 

The illegal trade of Hippo teeth is responsible for more human deaths than almost any other animal in Africa. Hippopotamus are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa standing around 6 feet tall weighing upwards of 8,000 pounds. Hippos can easily outrun a human running up to speeds of 20 miles per hour. Also in 2011 in Zambia, Hippos hunting for food by rooting in the soil, became infected with anthrax. 

Hippopotamus teeth are mostly used in Hong Kong.

Hippo teeth are mostly used in Hong Kong, Asia, where hippo ivory is carved into artwork.

Large hippo populations are found in the African countries of Botswana, Eritrea, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Zambia, The Gambia, Rwanda, Chad, Mozambique, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, and Ethiopia. 

Rules for trading ivory Hippopotamus teeth comes from Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species import and export and is legally restricted. New ivory can enter most countries under very limited circumstances for example for the purposes of forensic or scientific research.

There are two species of hippos; the large common hippo and the smaller pygmy hippo. Hippos are the third-largest living land mammal, after elephants and white rhinos. 

Did you know?

The closest relations of the hippopotamus are whales and dolphins.

Trading Ivory in the US

The sale and trade of ivory in the United States is heavily regulated, and there are strict rules in place to prevent illegal poaching and trade of elephant ivory.

In general, it is illegal to import, export, buy, or sell ivory across state lines, with a few exceptions. 

The exceptions include antique ivory (ivory that is over 100 years old), certain musical instruments that contain small amounts of ivory, and ivory that is part of a documented household inheritance. 

In order to legally sell or trade antique ivory, it must meet certain criteria, including being at least 100 years old, being part of a bona fide antique, and not having been significantly modified from its original form. 

Additionally, the seller must be able to provide documentation proving the age of the ivory and its status as a bona fide antique.

If you are unsure about the legality of selling or trading ivory, it is important to consult with a legal professional or a wildlife conservation organization.

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The lesson in this story is that kindness and compassion are rewarded. The mother who showed kindness to the magical frog was saved from the destruction of the village. This story teaches us that it is important to be kind to others, even if they are different from us. We never know when our kindness will be rewarded.

Magical Frog of Lake Jipe African Folklore

A long, long time ago there was magical frog who lived in Lake Jipe. There was also a large village named Mwere south of Nghonji in Kenya where 10,000 families lived.

One day, a terrible rain storm occurred during which the magical frog entered one of the houses; the mother on seeing it told one of her children to throw it out, and this having been done, the magical frog then went to another home where the same thing occurred, and so on at the third.

But at the fourth house the mother, however, said, “Oh, it is doing no harm, let it stay.”

Thereupon the magical frog seeing the mothers kindness said to her, “You have given me shelter and so listen to my words take your children and flee from this village without delay for it will disappear.”

She had the sense to obey this warning from the magical frog and had only gone a short distance when the whole village sank below the water.

Moral of the story of the Magical Frog of Lake Jipe is you never know what form your blessing may come in, you never know someone else's struggle so always have compassion.

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Learn about the Ukamba village’s ancient ritual of ram sacrifice to rid the community of disease and restore spiritual balance.

African Ceremony

Ram Sacrifice in Ukamba: An Ancient Ceremony for Removing Village Illness

In the Ukamba community, the physical and spiritual worlds are believed to be deeply interconnected. When illness strikes, the village turns to an ancient ritual of healing through symbolic sacrifice. The Elders, revered spiritual leaders, choose a large ram—an adult male sheep—as a sacred offering to the spirits. This ram represents the illness and impurities affecting the village.

During the ceremony, the Elders perform a ceremonial slaughter of the ram. They cut small pieces of meat from the carcass and spear these pieces onto wooden sticks. The men and women of the village each take a piece of the ram’s meat and walk some distance away from the village, where they throw it deep into the woods. This act symbolizes sending the disease away with the meat, taking all the negativity and wickedness along with it.

The remaining ram meat is roasted over a large fire, which symbolizes divine purity and the sacredness of the ritual. After the meat is consumed by the villagers, the bones are collected and broken up at the site of the fire. The next morning, a libation—an offering of liquid—is prepared. At dawn, the villagers awaken and gather, for it is crucial to complete the ritual before the first light of day. The libation is poured into two vessels: a horn of an ox held in the right hand and a gourd bowl held in the left.

The Elders pour the libation, starting with the horn in the right hand, to honor the male spirit, and then into the gourd, to honor the female spirit. As the libation is poured over the bones, the Elders pray, saying, “We put out the fire at the place where we roasted the meat, we put out the sickness so that it cannot return again to our village.”

This practice mirrors the ancient concept of the scapegoat found in the Bible, specifically in Leviticus 16:5-22, known as The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Just as the scapegoat was symbolically burdened with the sins of the people and cast away, the ram in Ukamba's ceremony symbolically carries the disease of the community, paying the price to cleanse and restore the village.

Definitions:

• Libation: The act of pouring a liquid as an offering or sacrifice to a deity or spirit.

• Ceremony: A structured event with predictable outcomes, often involving rituals. It involves a planned sequence of actions for a specific purpose.

• Ritual: A spontaneous, unplanned activity, often with a spiritual or ceremonial significance.

• Fire: Symbolizes divine nature, purity, and transformation. It is seen as a sacred force in many cultures.

• Elder: A respected, older member of the community, often seen as a spiritual guide with the authority to lead and offer wisdom.

• Ram: A mature male sheep. Rams are typically raised for their meat, milk, and wool. They can weigh between 80 to 400 pounds and have short tails, unlike their female counterparts, ewes.

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African Folktale from Kenya.

Shadowland Mugumo Tree Legend Folktale

A long, long time ago a poor farmer named Katimu lived in Kamoko Village Kenya. He borrowed a spear from a neighbor to kill an animal which was destroying his crops. 

He lay in wait in the field and eventually speared one, but it was only wounded and ran off with the spear in its body and disappeared down a hole near a scared Mugumo tree. 

Katimu went to the owner of the spear and told him that the spear was lost, but the owner insisted on having it back. He bought a new spear and offered it to the owner in place of the lost spear, but the owner refused it and again insisted on the return of the original spear. 

He then proceeded to crawl down the hole under the massive Mugumo tree, and having crawled a long, long way found himself eventually, to his surprise, in the mikeongoi shadowlands. 

Mikeongoi shadowland old woman

The shadowland people asked him what he was doing here and Katimu told them of his errand. 

They then invited him to stay and eat with them; but Katimu was afraid and said he could not stay as he must go back with the spear which he saw lying there near the underground root of the tree. 

The shadowland people made no effort to keep him as it was not his time yet to join them and directed him to climb up the roots of the tree, and he would soon come out into the upper world. 

So he took the spear and climbed up the roots of the tree as he was told. With all his strength, Katimu climbed nearly four stories high and he at long last returned to the upper world.

He returned the spear to the owner and to his surprise could still hear the voice of one of the shadowland people, a old woman. As Katimu became mysteriously possessed; the medicine man could not account for it and dispossess him.

The spirit of the old woman who was said to have died mysteriously entered his body and the whole village rapidly became disturbed as she demanded to avenge her death, thirteen cows, two bulls, and fifty goats in the village be slaughtered; the order was implicitly obeyed, for anyone who refused was supposed to be killed. 

Gugoyo is danced under the scared Mugumo tree at night when there was no moon to honor the old shadowland woman's demand of the slaughter festival. 

If the Gugoyo ceremonies are not properly carried out, the spirit of the murdered old woman will go back to his village, cry out in the night like a child, and enter into a man, who will become as one possessed. 

The people will call out to him, “Who are you?” and he will reply, “I am the Mikeongoi shadowland old woman. “I have come because I have been abandoned.” 

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Cattle raids and murders have become common between the Turkana, Pokot and Samburu tribes in Kenya.

As with all other pastoralist tribes in Kenya including the Pokot and Samburu tribes, livestock, especially cattle, are at the core of life and culture. 

Cattle raids and murder.

The Turkana people place such a high value on cattle that they often raid other tribes to acquire more animals. This may be seen as theft, but to the Turkana and other pastoralist tribes, it is a traditional custom. 

However, on September 24, 2022 eleven people were killed in Turkana County including eight National Police Service officers, two civilians and a local chief during a the Pokot ethnic group cattle raid. t follows an incident last month in which at least seven people were burnt to death in the same county during a raid by suspected Pokot militiamen. 

The pastoralist communities have used raiding and violence to restock herds, seize political power, or gain access to water. The area has been one of the hardest hit in one of the harshest droughts East Africa has seen in four decades. 

Cattle raids and murders are common between Turkanas and their neighboring tribes, especially between the Samburu, Pokot and Marakwet of Southern Kenya. They live in an ecological environment where the agricultural potential is extremely limited. They also live in a political environment that is very unstable where raiding and violence may erupt at any time. 

Disputes between communities may be aimed at forcefully evicting political opponents and their supporters from a common area in the run-up to a competitive political period, thus denying them a chance to cast their ballots. 

One of the world's hottest places, Samburu County has long been the battleground for rival communities marginalized herdsmen from the Turkana and Samburu communities, who steal each other's livestock and fight for scarce resources. Baragoi is a market town in Kenya, lying north of Maralal and east of the Suguta Valley located in Samburu County. 

Kenya's police called the Baragoi massacre in Samburu County a "criminal and cowardly ambush" on "innocent members of the public and police". Baragoi has been dubbed the Valley of Death because of the inhospitable terrain and bandit country. The Baragoi massacre or Samburu County Killings occurred in November 2012 on Mashujaa or Heroes Day after a Turkana raiders took over 500 heads of livestock including cattle and camels from one Samburu family.

Anti-Stock Theft Unit in Kenya

After being outgunned the day before, the Baragoi police were reinforced by the Anti-Stock Theft Unit, a specialized unit formed to track and recover stolen livestock. The police team then proceeded to Lomerok village, but they were again overpowered by the Turkana raiders and forced to withdraw. 

However, 5 days later about 600 armed Samburu men between the ages of 15 and 30 were set for retaliation against the Turkana taking matters into their own hands since the police were out gunned.

On November 10, 2012, 132 police officers and hundreds of Samburu men were assembled for the operation on Lomerok village to take back the livestock however, they were ambushed by Turkana and about 105 people were killed, among these 42 police officers.

Samburu and Turkana authorities have been holding public meetings to try and stop the violence but to no avail as cattle rustling is a traditional show of strength and acquisition of wealth for centuries in African pastoral tribes.

Did you know?

Kenyan Nilotes are comprised of three distinct groups: the River Lake Nilotes; the Luo, who live along Lake Victoria and practice fishing; and the plain Nilotes, who include the Maasai, Samburu, and Turkana people. 

Explore More: This story is part of our African Truth & Justice Hub featuring stories of resistance and human dignity.

Nigeria occupies three spots on Africa's top 20 largest African cities by population with an average temperature of 77 degrees F while Egypt also has three of the top 20 largest African cities with an average temperature of 63 degrees F.

List of 20 of Africa's largest cities by population 2022.

Nigeria and Egypt have Six of Africa's Largest Cities by Population.

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Population of 15,628,085

Average temperature in December 75 degrees F

Kinshasa was once known as Léopoldville, named after Leopold II who was the second King of the Belgians. His administration of the Congo Free State was characterized by atrocities and systematic brutality, including forced labor, torture, murder, kidnapping, and the amputation of the hands of men, women, and children when the quota of rubber was not met.

Lagos, Nigeria

Population of 15,387,639

Average temperature in December 81 degrees F

Lagos State was created on May 27, 1967. However, the formal relocation of the seat of the Federal Government to Abuja Nigeria on December, 12, 1991, Lagos ceased to be Nigeria’s political capital but Lagos continues to be the Nigerian economic and commercial capital.

Cairo, Egypt

Population of 10,025,657

Average temperature in December 63 degrees F

Cairo is known in Arabic as Al-Qāhirah, meaning The Victorious.

Giza, Egypt

Population of 9,200,000

Average temperature in December 61 degrees F

Giza is home to many famous Egyptian monuments such as the Great Pyramid, King Khufu’s tomb and The Great Sphinx.

Luanda, Angola

Population of 8,952,496

Average temperature in December 77 degrees F

Angolan food is simple to make good and the classic national dish of Angolan Chicken Stew, flavored with garlic, hot chilis, pumpkin, okra, cooked in palm oil eaten with Funge, a cassava firm dough. In 1483 Portuguese arrived at the current most expensive capital city in the world, Luanda Angola. Portuguese food, culture and language still have a major influence on Angolans. Angola's name is derived from the Portuguese from the title Ngola held by kings of the Ndongo. Ndongo was a kingdom in what is now northern Angola.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Population of 7,404,689

Average temperature in December 77 degrees F

Julius Nyerere International Airport is the largest airport in Tanzania and is located in Dar es Salaam. Julius Nyerere International Airport is one of 58 government owned airports operated and maintained by Tanzania Airports.

Khartoum, Sudan

Population of 6,160,327

Average temperature in December 77 degrees F

Khartoum in Arabic is Al-Khurṭūm located in central Sudan meaning Elephant's Trunk.

Johannesburg, South Africa

Population of 6,065,354

Average temperature in December 61 degrees F

Activist Ruth Heloise First studied at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, from 1942 to 1946. She graduated with a BA in Social Studies. First was a journalist, academic and political activist killed by a letter bomb August 17, 1982. During the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, after 1995, it was determined that the bomb that killed First had been put together by Jerry Raven, based on an order from Craig Williamson, a former spy in the South African security police.

Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Population of 5,515,790

Average temperature in December 76 degrees F

St Paul's Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the city of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Building began in May 1980 and the church opened in August 1985, Saint Paul's Cathedral serves as the mother church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Abidjan.

Alexandria, Egypt

Population of 5,483,605

Average temperature in December 66 degrees F

Alexandria, Egypt's second largest city was founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Population of 5,227,794

Average temperature in December 62 degrees F

Addis Ababa is pronounced a - duhs aa-buh- baa

Nairobi , Kenya

Population of 5,118,844

Average temperature in December 75 degrees F

Nairobi National Park is Kenya's first national park established in 1946 located within the limits of the capital city.

Cape Town, South Africa

Population of 4,800,954

Average temperature in December 72 degrees F

Buffelsfontein Farm in Cape Town, South Africa holds the official lowest temperature record in the country of 0 °F. Buffelsfontein record was recorded on June 18, 1996, and because of this, the weather service officially calls Buffelsfontein the coldest town in Africa.

Yaoundé, Cameroon

Population of 4,336,670

Average temperature in December 75 degrees F

Mfoundi Market located in Yaounde is one of the largest food, goods and services markets in Cameroon.

Kano, Nigeria

Population of 4,219,209

Average temperature in December 72 degrees F

Kano is the second largest city in Nigeria after Lagos. Kano state was created on May 27, 1967.

Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

Population of 4,045,000

Average temperature in December 75 degrees F

The name Ekurhuleni means place of peace in XiTsonga.

Douala, Cameroon

Population of 3,926,645

Average temperature in December 82 degrees F

Douala is the second largest city in Cameroon after Yaoundé. The local indigenous language is Duala, which shares its name with the city. French and English are official languages.

Casablanca, Morocco

Population of 3,840,396

Average temperature in December 72 degrees F

The Hassan II Mosque holds 25,000 worshipers in Casablanca, Morocco, North Africa and is the largest functioning Mosque in Africa and is the 7th largest Mosque in the world.

Ibadan, Nigeria

Population of 3,756,445

Average temperature in December 79 degrees F

Ibadan is the second largest city in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano. Founded in 1932, the University of Ibadan was the first university to be established in Nigeria.

Antananarivo, Madagascar

Population of 3,699,900

Average temperature in December 63 degrees F

Lowland rice production structures are well developed and rice terraces are regularly found along the roads between the capital and largest city in Madagascar, Antananarivo. In Madagascar, rice markets have always been important, since rice is the most important staple in the country. Many families eat rice three times a day, and most of it is homegrown.

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