The ‘Grand Canyon’ at the end of the world

Shimmering in the heat of the spectacularly beautiful but seldom visited Kerio Valley, which furrows the furthest reaches of the Northern Rift Valley, lie the little-known reserves of Lake Kamnarok and Rimoi. Twin sectors of the same eco-system, they are divided both by man and nature: the broad brown reaches of the Kerio River divide them physically, and the boundaries of the Baringo and Keiyo County Councils define their ownership. They are reached by what must surely be one of Kenya’s most dramatic roads; a broad sweep of impeccable tarmac that zigzags from the pine-clad cool of the Tugen Hills to the sweltering heat of the valley floor in a series of panoramic hairpin bends. This is about as far off the beaten tourist track as you’re likely to get; where the Tugen people live in stark simplicity and the silence is broken only by the dull clang of cowbells.  

Fact File

• Altitude: 1,520 – 1,680 meters above sea level.
• Area: Kamnarok National Reserve: 87.7 sq km.
• Rimoi National Reserve: 66 sq km
• Location: both reserves lie in Rift Valley Province; Lake Kamnarok NR (to the east of the Kerio River) is administered by Baringo County Council, Rimoi NR (to the west of the river) by Keiyo County Council. 
• Distance from Nairobi: approximately 350 km. 
• Gazetted: both reserves were gazetted in 1983. 
• Climate:  semi-arid, the heat being fiercest in February and early March, just before the rains break. 
• Vegetation: semi-tropical vegetation on the slopes of the escarpment and dry thorn bush on the valley floor. Some 90 medicinal plants are regularly collected.
• Wildlife: includes: leopard, bush pig, waterbuck, buffalo, elephant, dik-dik and warthog.
• Birds: over 59 species have been recorded.
• Roads: while the main roads leading towards the reserves from Kabarnet or Iten are excellent, once off the tarmac the murram roads leading into the reserves require 4WD. 

What’s in a name?

Lake Kamnarok is named after the ‘narok’ or white water lilies that float serenely on its surface. A major source of sustenance to the local population in times of drought, the number of lilies has diminished seriously since the 1900s when they were at their most prolific. Even so, the local Tugen people still harvest the plants in times of hardship, boiling the roots to eat as a vegetable and grinding the rest of the plant into a kind of millet, which is made into porridge. Rimoi Reserve has recently been renamed and was formerly known as the Kerio Valley Nature Reserve. 

The ‘World’s End’

One of the most dramatic scarps in the world, the Northern Rift Valley is also known as the ‘World’s End’ in recognition of its drop-away panoramas, soaring scenery and location at the gateway to the searing heat of the northern desert regions. And, as one heads north from Nakuru towards Lake Baringo, so the temperatures rise, the landscape dries, and the human population dwindles. Exhibiting a bright harsh beauty quite unlike that of the Central Rift, this is a place of relentless heat, red-dust, beehive-hung acacias, swooping hornbills and nibbling goats. 

‘Place of a thousand and one crocodiles’

According to local legend, Lake Kamnarok was a swamp prior to 1890. Between 1901 and 1927 it expanded rapidly with the plentiful rains; then dried up completely in 1935 due to a murderous drought. When the waters returned, they brought with them a new resident for the lake: the Nile crocodile, who adapted so well to the environment that today there are allegedly 20,000 of them existing in the lake’s meagre waters.  

A high biomass of fish

The lake hosts the following species: Elephant snout fish, Ethiopian barb, Neumayers barb, mid-spot barb, red-eye labio, sharp-toothed catfish and Nile tilapia. The only fishing, however, is done by the birds; the massive numbers of crocodiles dissuade other anglers. 

A fast-disappearing lake

Originally formed in the 1900’s, Lake Kamnarok has traditionally suffered from extreme fluctuations in water levels. During the period 1988-92 it expanded so rapidly that its waters enveloped much of the surrounding acacia bush; and in 1992 the floodwaters of the Kerio River back-washed so severely into the lake that a permanent drainage gully was formed. In the intervening years, the gully has grown in size and the waters now drain the other way back into the Kerio River. Today the lake is reckoned to be less than half of its former size, measuring merely 1km x ½ km, and if the trend continues surveys suggest that it will disappear completely within 1-2 years. Many plans and numerous attempts have been made by the local council to dam the 5 meter wide gully, without success. 

The magical Kerio Valley

Sandwiched between the Cherangani Hills and the Tugen Hills (also known as the Kamasia Massif), the dramatic canyon of the Kerio Valley plunges more than 1000 meters in a few kilometers. Grey-green, cloud-shadowed and Eden-wild its giant grace causes the mind to momentarily pause in its perambulations. 

What to see

Both reserves enjoy a wild profusion of birdlife – most of it very similar in character to that of the nearby ornithological paradise of Lake Baringo. Most easily spotted around the lake are the numerous African jacana, which potter in its shallow swamp-like edges, and the plentiful little grebe, hammerkop, heron, egret, ibis, tree duck and Egyptian goose that patrol its waters.  

Home to 300 elephants

The reserves are also home to a sizeable herd of elephants. Staying under the close cover of the bush during the day, they can often be seen at dawn and dusk when they troop down to the banks of the Kerio River to drink. More easily seen are the reserves’ bushbuck, antelope, waterbuck, dik-dik and impala; hyena and leopard less so. Olive baboons and vervet monkeys are plentiful, and the reserves also offer the ideal habitat for snakes, many of which, like the black mamba, are extremely venomous. The reserves were once also the home of Rothschild’s giraffe, hunting dog, rhino, wildcat and lion, most of which have been eradicated by poaching. 

What to do

Having reached the lake you can drive down to the shore where there is a campsite and a simple viewing platform. A 2 kms crocodile-wary stroll will take you to a slightly raised picnic site (with excellent views down the Kerio Valley), and onwards to the drainage gully. A vague track continues through the bush for a couple of kms until it reaches the sandy banks of the broad, brown Kerio River, on the other side of which lie the dense acacia thickets of Rimoi. Thereafter the reserve offers no roads and though you can walk through the bush, an escort (available from the wardens at the gate) is recommended. A similar situation prevails in Rimoi Reserve.