@ppcheti
The National Museums of Kenya urgently needs Sh23 million to restore the Takwa ruins, one of the largest archaeological sites in Lamu county.
Takwa started off as a thriving human settlement and Swahili trading centre in the 15th and 16th centuries.
The 40-acre site was abandoned in the early 17th century due to environmental factors, including loss of fresh water.
The ruins are among the rich historical tourist attractions in the region.
They are, however, on the verge of collapse and total eradication due to the dilapidated nature of most structures that urgently need restoration and maintenance.
NMK curator in charge of the Lamu Museums and World Heritage Site Mohammed Mwenje said the ruins were discovered in the 1960s before archeological works were done in the 1980s.
In 1982, the Takwa ruins were designated a Kenyan National Monument, gazetted and preserved by NMK.
No major restoration has been done and the ruins could crumble to dust.
Mwenje said the cost of restoring the ruins, like that of other important sites, is at last Sh23 million.
“Undertaking restoration and protection of archaeological sites is generally very expensive. Covering most of the necessary restoration works just for 40-acre Takwa alone will cost between Sh12 million and Sh23 million,"Mwenje said.
He said without timely interventions in the near future, the ruins will be no more.
“The structures are falling apart while most are decaying from all surfaces.sides. We can still however arrest the situation is we in," he said.
"We can still intervene now and restore them. If that’s doesn’t happen, Takwa ruins will soon be a painful dream," the curator said.
Archeological works for Takwa would include providing cap flashes, metal barriers, to prevent the Indian Ocean from infiltrating the ruins due to rising sea levels and erosion.
Mwenje said the NMK is making plans to fortify all historical and cultural sites in Lamu to ensure they do not collapse but are preserved for posterity.
“It’s not a matter to be handled by one entity and that’s why we are engaging the government and other partners so we can restore these sites,” he said.
Another major challenge facing the Takwa is the continued encroachment from the local communities in neighbouring islands as the area is unfenced.
Mwenje said ruins are located within the fast-developing Ras Kitau Island, which was recently alienated for human settlement and farming, among other activities.
“We need top fence off the property to stop any further encroachment yet that also costs a lot of money considering the large area in covers, but it must be done,” Mwenje said.
In 2019, the NMK announced that it needed at least Sh200 million to urgently restore and maintain key historical sites and monuments across the Lamu Archipelago.
(Edited by V.Graham)
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