Herbert Menzer is one of the great connectors and influencers on Lamu Island. Herbert hails from Hamburg, Germany, and over the years has constructed several large, luxurious, modern Swahili rental villas in Shela village. He’s also the mastermind behind the annual Lamu Hat Contest, and The Painters Festival. Both will be held February 1-16, 2020.
Suavissimo Lee Harvin will be 79 years old next year. Inshallah. Seemingly ageless, he identifies himself with Dorian Gray. Lee is originally from Harlem, New York. Shela has been his home for 15 years. If he’s not wearing a Panama hat you’ll spot him by his usual turbaned head.
Political graffiti from 2017 general elections
Watermelon is so powerful he can move heaven and earth — and even motorbikes for you.
The Lamu Yoga Festival, conceived by Banana House, is now in its seventh year. The venue offers five days of yoga classes, meditation, and workshops in Shela, Lamu town, and on Manda Island.
A few years ago, following a spate of security incidents in the region (on the mainland only), then Lamu county governor, Issa Timamy, hired a British PR firm and rebranded Lamu as “The Island of Festivals”.
Never mind that some of the more conservative locals refer to the throngs of mostly women attendees as “little devils” for their strange salutations toward the sun while lined up on the beach. The Swahili community is accommodating. Lamu is safe and idyllic as can be.
Low-level flying with Fuzz Dyer of Northern Rangeland Trust
July 9, 2019 World Heritage Committee calls for the Government of Kenya to stop the Lamu coal plant project until it assesses it’s impacts on Lamu’s environment, heritage, and culture, and submits reports for review – Natural Justice
