English: The time when the Fort was a prison, is one of the most imposing historic structures in Kenya. It is exceeded in size only by Fort Jesus in Mombasa. Construction of its massive walls commenced in 1813, shortly after Lamu’s victory over Pate and Mombasa in the battle of Shella. This major building task was reputed and undertaken with the cooperation of Sayyid Said, Sultan of Oman. Who was then cultivating a promising new alliance with Lamu. Construction was started around 1810 either shortly before or after the battle of Shella. The building was finished by the Oman whose garrison then occupied it. The Fort was taken over by the British administration around the turn of the century and converted into a Prison in 1910. By the Mid-1920s the Fort housed two-hundred convicts and nine warders. The prison was finally moved to a new facility in 1984 and was handed over to the National Museum of Kenya