ABSTRACT
Apparently64 the island population of African extraction is only very small, about 5,700. This figure should, in my opinion, be almost doubled by adding an equal number of so-called Arabs.65 It must be said, however, that the then total of, say, 11,000 is a mere guess and ought to be verified; at the same time, it may represent about the maximum that should be allowed, whereas the absolute minimum, supposing that no “ Arabs” are to be found outside Lamu town, would be 8,700 inhabitants. An average density of the island population would not tell us much : Manda Island, for instance has no longer any permanent population. On the whole, the inhabitants are concentrated in the few towns and villages.
