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Oxbow lakes are prevalent along the lower course of the Tana and include Lakes Vukoni, Pongi, Pacha, Lango La Shimba, Bilisa, Idsowe, Harakisa, Moa, Shakababo, Kongolola, Kitumbuini, and Dida Warede. The river then flows towards Kipini, where it splits into several distributaries and forms a huge delta (Crafter et al.

The last cataract on the river occurs at Kora. As the Tana flows north, it receives the Galole, Hiraman, and Tula tributaries on its left bank.

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The TanaвЂ™s main tributary, the River Sagana, originates from a series of springs among open moorlands on Mount Kenya. On its upper course the river flows northwards, then curves south just below the equator. The Tana River flows through extensive wetlands and its estuary has one of the best mangrove stands in Kenya (Kairo, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Mombasa, pers. Smaller rivers and streams also drain the coastal margins of Eastern Africa, such as from the Shimba Hills and Arabuko-Sokoke forest.В As its name suggests, the ecoregion covers KenyaвЂ™s east coast inland to the walls of the Great Rift Valley, and it also extends marginally into northern Tanzania.

Many of the tributaries drain from Mount Kenya, the Aberdare Ranges, and from the northern slopes of Mt. This ecoregion encompasses the basins of the Tana and Athi/Galana Rivers and those of several other coastal rivers that flow to the Indian Ocean, including the Goshi, Tiwi, Pemba, Umba, and Ramisi Rivers. This winding distance through the country is the reason it is credited as KenyaвЂ™s second longest river.Draining Mount Kenya and surrounding highlands, the coastal rivers of this ecoregion, with their associated swamps, floodplains, and lakes, host a relatively depauperate fish fauna but a rich avifauna and herpetofauna and include some relict endemic forms of Odonata. From its genesis point 390 kilometres away, Galana- Sabaki River finally concludes it journey in Malindi where it drains its water into the Indian Ocean. These are the Swahili, Pokomo, Elwana, and Mijikenda. The meaning of the name Galana largely remains a mystery, but the name Sabaki is inspired by the collective word used to refer to the communities that traditionally inhabited the region between the river confluence and the coast. Beyond this convergence point, the river emerges with two names вЂ“ Galana andВ Sabaki. As Athi River slashes a lively gash across these dusty plains, it confluences with the Tsavo River and once more sheds its identity.

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This shift is due to the presence of Lukenya Hills near this confluence.ДЄthi River, having now taken on its full form, moves swiftly through the land, flowing around Mount Kilimambogo and through the region once known as Ukambani. In addition to the name change, there is a variance in the riverвЂ™s course from its southward flow to a north east direction.

Having travelled a great distance from the small spring from which it begins, this zone marks a new journey for the river. A few kilometers beyond the park, Mbagathi converges with another river and takes on another name, one that is a further corruption of its source name: Athi. As for the river, new communities settled along its banks over time and corrupted the Maa name to Mbagathi, the name we know it by today.ДЇrom the hills, the Mbagathi River flows through Oloolua Forest and past Ongata Rongai to form the southern boarder of the Nairobi National Park. Em-pakasi oo lera, the Maa people named the waterbody, to mean вЂњthe acacia lined river.вЂќ Over time, a small settlement was established some distance away but since the river was the most distinct landmark of the place, the name Empakasi was carried on, slightly morphing to become Embakasi. Many years ago, this place was inhabited by the Maasai who grazed their cattle along the banks and rested under the shade of said trees. They dot the terrain and cluster along the banks of this river, soaking up the water it provides. As this spring widens into a river, it traverses a region characterized by an abundance of acacia trees. High up on Ngong Hills is a small spring, one of seemingly little consequence.

And to tell the story of this river, we must trace its path back to one of its many sources, for a river is a waterbody that begins as a maze of springs, streams and strings. To fully understand the evolution of these three words, we must tell the story of a river. These names denote different locations on the map of Kenya, but all have the same etymology.

Sabaki river