| Group: | Wardey |
| Region1: |  |
| Region2: |  |
| Regions: | Tana River, Kenya and Jubbaland,Somalia |
| Langs: | Somali |
| Rels: | Islam (Sunni) |
Wardey is a Somali clan who associated with the Dir clan family specifically the Madahweyne sub-clan. They are found in southern Somalia (Lower Jubba) and eastern Kenya,[1] mostly along the Tana River. The Wardey are a pastoralist community. Mostly they live in Tana River County alongside Orma communities. They speak the Somali language and practice Islam.
The Wardey live in the respective cities of Garsen, Afmadow, Kismayo, Dhobley and Bangal.[2]
According to tradition, the Wardey, at that time identifying as a somali Dir clan were previous inhabitants that occupied the Jubba region prior to the Darod invasions.
Historically, the Wardey were known as the rulers of the Waamo sultanate which is where the name Wardey comes from. In the early 19th century they were at the height of their power when they inhabited almost all of the Westbank of Jubba River to their east bordering the powerful Geledi Sultanate. West Jubaland (roughly Northern and Eastern Kenya and South Western Somalia).[3]
In the 19th century the Darod Somali, particularly Ogaden, advanced southwards across the Dawa River. The first attempt in 1842 failed, but in 1844 they tried again and were allowed to enter as clients (shegats).[4] The Darod then became herdsboys who were allowed to keep some animals of their own. Then these clients slowly consolidated their numbers until they had achieved parity with or even superiority over the original inhabitants. Around 1865, when smallpox epidemiology weakened the Wardey, they were attacked by Darod from the North and to a lesser extent by the Kamba from the West and Maasai from the South. In 1867 the Somali invited the Wardey elders for a great peace offering. However, the feast turned out to be an ambush and thousands were slaughtered. Extensive Somali raids followed the offering.
Most of the remaining Wardey were forced to cross the River Tana and sought refuge along the southern and eastern banks of the Tana River. Large numbers of Wardmen were killed and an estimated 8,000 women and children.[5] In order to protect the remaining Wardey on the east bank of the Tana from the Darod, in 1909 the few remaining Wardey on the east bank of the Tana were moved by the British to the west bank. These Wardey now live in somalia and tana river
Once the Wardey fled into the west bank Tana River, the remaining in the Jubba area and the east side of the Tana River became known as Wardey However, there here were regularl Discussions In Tana River District and the North Eastern Province, this discussion focused around the position of the amongst the Wardey community. It was clear become that the oromo clients out of their free will, were in fact slaves and could not leave the Somali. Since these Orma clients were, as long as they adhered to paying tribute and ‘symbolic’ submission, often allowed to live in their own villages and keep livestock. With some pressure of the British the Somali agreed to the Somali-Oromo agreement, which stated that the Orma could return to their brothers on the other side he Tana, provided they left half of their livestock with the Somali. This agreement also implied clearly that the Somali should remain on their bank of the Tana.[6] A good number of the enslaved Orma returned, but since the British had limited military power, they were not in a position to guarantee the return of all the Orma who wanted to cross the river.[7] Initially these back-migrants were called Wardey, also written as Waridei Wardeh and Wardei, etc, However in 1939, the Somalis refuted the agreement and no Wardey was able to return until after the independence. In 1971 President Kenyatta officially welcomed the Wardey. [8] Nowadays the term Wardey is mainly used for the clients who returned after Independence. Most of them speak Somali . Today, they speak Somali and have Somali culture, while claiming the Dir clan and viewing themselves as closer to Somalis then any other group
Early population figures of the Wardey are unavailable. They were counted under the Orma. The Kenyan colonial government estimated the number of Orma in 1926 at 2,394..[9] In 1932 they were estimated at 5,000. This increase was due to the return of Wardey. The first full count of the Orma took place in 1962. In 1979 they were estimated at 32,000.[10] Between 1969 and 1979 their increase was 96%. This large increase was again due the Wardey returning.. This ‘back-migration’ has continued since.[11] In 2009 the Orma were counted as 74,146. In 2019 their number was 250,000. For the first time the category Wardey was available and 65,965 of the Orma categorized themselves as Wardey.[12]
Mohamed Gure Mohamed Tana River County Government Yakub Adow Kuno MP Bura Constituency Mohamed Sheikh Abdi Galgalo Former MP Bura Constituency