Some 20 million years ago, the earth’s crust weakened and tore itself apart creating a jagged rift, thousands of kilometers long, across the African continent. The land on either side erupted creating great volcanic mountains, while the valley floor gradually sank into a low flat plain. This geologic phenomena, dubbed the Great Rift Valley by the Scottish explorer John Walter Gregory, divides Kenya neatly down the length of the country essentially separating east from west. Today’s Rift Valley is characterized by uninhabitable desert and fertile farmland, flat arid plains and steep escarpments. 

 In some places this natural divide is up to 100 km (60 miles) wide, while it reaches its narrowest point just north of Nairobi at 45 km wide. The valley floor is at its lowest near Lake Turkana where there is virtually no distinction between the Great Rift and the surrounding desert. As it heads south, however, the valley walls form sheer cliffs rising to 1,900 km (6,232 ft) at Lake Naivasha. After Naivasha, the valley descends again to 580 meters (1,902 feet) at the Tanzanian border. 

 Subterranean movement is common today as the Rift Valley is home to thirty active and semi-active volcanoes and countless hot springs along its length. This string of alkaline lakes and boiling springs northwest of Nairobi includes Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru, Lake Elementaita, Lake Naivasha, and Lake Magadi in the south. These lakes are unique because their water is highly concentrated sodium carbonate. This situation is caused by the high alkalinity from the surrounding volcanic rocks coupled with poor drainage outlets due to the steep sides of the valley. The high evaporation of the surface lake water results in sodium carbonate which, in turn, creates an ideal breeding ground for algae. Several species of fish, tilapia in particular, thrive in this environment.

As a result, millions of birds flock to these soda lakes to feast on the abundant food supply of algae and fish. Each of the lakes in the Rift Valley string have a slightly different water composition ranging from freshwater to extremely alkaline, highly saline to brackish. 

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The flamingo, which is the main attraction for tourists at Lake Nakuru National Park, has moved from its main sanctuary in the Rift Valley to other areas, including the minute Lake Simbi Nyaima in Western Kenya. Lake Nakuru, which local Senior Game Warden Alfred Mayoli says has lost more than two thirds of its water, is the focal point of all tourism business in town. The flamingos’ attractive colours, grace, beauty and numbers are the talk of all tourists – local and international.

Mr. Mayoli’s contention that the flamingos are migrating to Lake Simbi Nyaima and elsewhere due to drought has, however, been challenged by some experts. They argue that the birds are moving because of the contamination of water by local factories which release untreated waste into the lake.

The worrying thing about the flamingos in Nakuru is the unexplained deaths of the birds that have moved to ponds around the town’s sewage treatment plant under rehabilitation. It is believed that the birds are dying after consuming toxic waste.

In October, last year, Mr. Mayoli says, a scientist was sent to the lake to probe the cause of the birds’ deaths. The outcome of the probe is yet to be released.

A team of Japanese construction experts working on the multi-million sewerage project has declined to comment on the deaths of the flamingos at the sewage ponds. However, a worker at the site said that every morning they fill a pick-up with dead flamingos.

On the current migration of flamingos, Mr. Mayoli says it is not the first time the birds have moved. He says: “This is not the first time the lake has substantially dried up as we were faced with a similar situation in 1987. We also have recorded incidents of the drying up of the lake in the past.”

“Since flamingos are water birds”, he says, “they are definitely bound to seek a new home when there is drastic change in their physical environment”.

The deaths at the ponds, another expert argues, cannot deplete the flamingo population because they hatch in large numbers and live for long.

A bird expert from the National Museums of Kenya, Mr. Oliver Nasirwa, argues that with a life expectancy of over 50 years and an annual breeding of over 250,000 a few deaths will not make a difference since everything is being done to contain the situation.

Mr. Nasirwa observes that flamingos breed every two years at Lake Natron in Tanzania, and out of the 500,000 hatchlings more than 300,000 survive. “Considering that the average lifespan of the flamingo is 50 years the few that are dying can only be considered at this stage as normal.”

As a measure to ensure the flamingo deaths are not “abnormal” the National (Kenya) Water Fowl Census team has appealed to people to report any deaths to the nearest wildlife offices. Mr. Nasirwa agrees with Mr. Mayoli that the migration of the flamingo to places like Simbi Nyaima is nothing new.

“Considering some of the birds that went to that lake [Simbi Nyaima) when drought at Lake Nakuru threatened their existence in 1988 are still alive, it’s no wonder they have led others there”, Mr. Nasirwa said.

The bird census that was done on the shores of Lake Nakuru on January 14, drew a team of bird lovers, water fowl experts and several volunteers who with their powerful equipment counted the birds starting from 6 am to 6 pm. Tourists joined in for the love of the birds.

Friends of Lake Nakuru (FLN), a local conservation group, has noted that the reduction of the birds’ numbers posed a threat to tourism in the country.

The group’s vice chairman, Mr. Joseph Muya, attributes the decline in numbers to a reduction in the level of algae in the lake that is drying up.

During an international symposium in Portugal last September, the conservation group presented a paper on “Threats to Water Fowl and their Habitat” with reference to lakes Nakuru and Elementaita.

The symposium had been organised by Portugal’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in collaboration with the International Bird Protection.

Meanwhile, scientists from Egerton University have announced that they will soon launch a Sh10 million (US$175,439) research project to establish the cause of the birds’ deaths.

A member of the team, Dr. L. A. Onek, a bio-chemist, says his team suspects that the birds are migrating to western Kenya due to the quality of Cyano-bacteria which might be deteriorating due to pollution. Cyano bacterium is the flamingos’ staple diet.

The scholar says the dominant species of Cyano-bacteria in Lake Nakuru is Spiruline Platensis.

Dr. Onek says that his team has collected samples from both Lake Nakuru and Lake Simbi Nyaima for a comparative study.

While Nakuru residents are busy speculating as to why the birds are running away from their considered natural habitat, 200 kilometres away, Simbi Nyaima people are thrilled with their new visitors.

At Simbi Nyaima flamingo “invasion” is treated with the reverence accorded a miracle. The lake itself is believed by the residents to have come into being miraculously.

Long time ago, according to local folklore, there came to Kanyadhiang Village a hungry and tired old woman called Ateku. She found the villagers celebrating – eating, drinking and dancing.

One caring woman welcomed her with food, drink, and a bed to rest her frail body.

After the magnanimous action, Ateku ordered water to spring from the ground.

Since areas adjacent to the lake are so dry, it is believed the water came into being as a token of appreciation by Ateku to the woman.

With some die-hard flamingo lovers now travelling all the way to Simbi Nyaima, 200 km away, residents of the area believe a second miracle is taking place, and treasure the event with the hope that tourism will germinate and take root in the area.

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At 85km North West of Kenya’s capital Nairobi Lake Naivasha is just over an hours drive by public or Private Transport, including Charter Flights. The lake is located some distance from the town and taxis are readily available. For overnight travelers, there are well-furnished lodges and hotels such as Cray Fish, Simba, Sopa, and Fish Eagle among others. The Yellow barked Acacia that abound with bird life make Naivasha a world class birding destination thus a haven for Bird Lovers and Researchers. A great way to spend a morning or afternoon is taking a boat trip around the lake encountering local fishermen, Columbus Monkeys calling from the tree tops, Wallowing Buffaloes from the swamps, Wandering Giraffes among the acacia, and a population of Hippos sleeping the day out in the shallows.

Splendid scenery around the lake is the privately owned Crater Lake Game Sanctuary situated on the former estate of Lady Diana Delamere, which is home to Ox- Wagon Safaris. “Elsamere” a Wildlife Education and Conservation Centre was once home to Joy Adamson, author of Born free. Walking, hiking, biking and rock climbing is ideal in Hell’s Gate National Park named for its pair of massive Red Tinged Cliffs framing a Geothermically active interior of steam vents and bubbling springs. The lovely lake with its cool climate is a noble retreat for any Resident or Tourist looking for peace and a relaxing environment. The haunting call of a Fish Eagle high over the lake brings a perfect daybreak making the sunsets very stunning.

Surrounded the lake there’s a lot flower plantation, the flowers provide an important source of income to Kenya, but the industry comes with a price. Flowers are not held to the same standards for chemical residues as food products. Strong chemical pesticides can be used on the flowers to produce the perfect, pest-free bloom, and this could pose a health risk to workers and local wildlife, including hippos, environmental groups told the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2002. The chemicals may also threatened the water quality of Lake Naivasha, one of Kenya’s few freshwater lakes. The Kenya Flower Council instituted a code of conduct establishing guidelines for pesticide that phases out the use of one of the most toxic pesticides.

Sepenggal kalimat yang mungkin biasa bagi sebagian orang, dan mungkin tidak bagi sebagian lagi, memang dalam hidup selalu ada pertemuan dan perpisahan, selasa lalu masih teringat jelas baris demi baris kata-kata yang dalam sms itu, “be prepare guys we are going to Nakuru”, but when the time his come this guys not coming with us, his going back to his country, I hope nothing happen with ur wife and ur child, we are here pray for you bro, I know its very hard for you, be calm and cool bro, Allah SWT bless you bro.

And for someone who will leave this project in the end of this month, he always say “This Crazy Project Man”, why you don’t want extend ur contract bro?… (U can answer by email bro) he…he…he… this a nice experience for us, everywhere we are always go together, like nothing happen in this project.ha…ha…ha… I hope u want stay for support this project man, and if not, maybe we can meet again somewhere in the world in another project.

The Masai Mara is one of the best known and most popular reserves in the whole of Africa. At times and in certain places it can get a little overrun with tourist minibuses, but there is something so special about it that it tempts you back time and again.

The Masai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) covers some 1530km² in south-western Kenya. It is the northern-most section of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, covering some 25,000 km². It is bounded by the Serengeti Park to the south, the Siria escarpment to the west and Maasai pastoral ranches to the north, east and west. Rainfall in the ecosystem increases markedly along a south-east-north-west gradient, varies in space and time, and is markedly bimodal. The Sand, Talek and Mara are the major rivers draining the reserve. Shrubs and trees fringe most drainage lines and cover hillslopes and hilltops.

Here the valley is wide and a towering escarpment can be seen in the hazy distance. Most of the game viewing activities occur on the valley floor, but some lodges conduct walking tours outside the park boundaries in the hills of the Oloololo Escarpment. The animals are also at liberty to move outside the park into huge areas known as ‘dispersal areas’. There can be as much wildlife roaming outside the park as inside. Many Masai villages are located in the ‘dispersal areas’ and they have, over centuries, developed a synergetic relationship with the wildlife.

The terrain of the reserve is primarily open grassland, with seasonal riverlets. In the south-east region are clumps of the distinctive acacia tree. The western border is the Esoit Oloololo Escarpment of the Rift Valley, and wildlife tends to be most concentrated here, as the swampy ground means that access to water is always good and tourist disruption is minimal. The easternmost border is 224 km from Nairobi, and hence it is the eastern regions which are most visited by tourists.

Seasoned safari travellers, travel writers, documentary makers and researchers often admit that the Masai Mara is one of their favourite places. So why is that? Perhaps it is because of the ‘big skies’, the open savannahs, the romance of films like ‘Out of Africa’ and certainly because of the annual wildebeest migration, the density of game, the variety of birdlife and the chance of a hot air balloon ride.

Also because of the tall red-robed Masai people whose lifestyle is completely at odds with western practices, and from whom one learns to question certain western values.

A combination of all these things plus something to do with the spirit of the place – which is hard to put into words – is what attracts people to the Mara over and over.

 Here the valley is wide and a towering escarpment can be seen in the hazy distance. Most of the game viewing activities occur on the valley floor, but some lodges conduct walking tours outside the park boundaries in the hills of the Oloololo Escarpment. The animals are also at liberty to move outside the park into huge areas known as ‘dispersal areas’. There can be as much wildlife roaming outside the park as inside. Many Masai villages are located in the ‘dispersal areas’ and they have, over centuries, developed a synergetic relationship with the wildlife.

There are four main types of topography in the Mara: Ngama Hills to the east with sandy soil and leafy bushes liked by black rhino; Oloololo Escarpment forming the western boundary and rising to a magnificent plateau; Mara Triangle bordering the Mara River with lush grassland and acacia woodlands supporting masses of game especially migrating wildebeest; Central Plains forming the largest part of the reserve, with scattered bushes and boulders on rolling grasslands favoured by the plains game.

Wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle migrate into and occupy the Mara reserve from the Serengeti plains to the south and Loita plains in the pastoral ranches to the north-east from July to October or later. Herds of all three species are also resident in the reserve.

All members of the “Big Five” are found in the Masai Mara, although the population of black rhinoceros is severely threatened, with a population of only 37 recorded in 2000. Hippopotami are found in large groups in the Masai Mara and Talek rivers. Cheetah are also found, although their numbers are also threatened, chiefly due to tourist disruption of their daytime hunting.

The Safari Rally is the last in the EARC Series and took place between April 3th to April 5th in Nairobi, Kenya with the kick off at KICC on the 3rd of April and rally action at Elementaita and Stony Athi
Since 2003, KCB Bank has been sponsoring the Kenya National Rally Championships which consists of 7 rallies through out the year and are staged in different towns throughout Kenya. In 2008, KCB launched the East Africa Rally Challenge (EARC) this rally consisted of the Kobil rally of Tanzania, The KCB Pearl of Africa in Uganda, and the KCB Safari Rally in Kenya.
The Safari Rally is considered by many to be the world’s toughest rally. It was first held from May 27 to June 1, 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Ugandaand Tanzania, as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1960 it was renamed the East African Safari Rally and kept that name until 1974, when it became the Safari Rally.

The event was part of the World Rally Championship calendar for many years until being excluded due to lack of funding & organization in 2003. The Kenyan government is trying to get the rally’s WRC status restored. Since 2003 the event has been part of the African Rally Championship organized by the FIA. It is currently known as the KCB Safari Rally after its sponsor, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB).
The Safari was a markedly different rally from the other dates on the WRC schedule. About 5300 km of gravel roads comprised the course, though there were not distinct special stages as in other rallies, but instead the course was uncontrolled. The rally was considered very punishing, and thus many of the successful teams were specifically focused on it, leading to a different set of front-runners than led most other rallies.

Nakuru National Park (188 km²), created in 1961 around Lake Nakuru, near Nakuru Town. It is best known for its thousands, sometimes millions of flamingos nesting along the shores. The surface of the shallow lake is often hardly recognizable due to the continually shifting mass of pink. The number of flamingoes on the lake varies with water and food conditions and the best vantage point is from Baboon Cliff. Also of interest is an area of 188 km around the lake fenced off as a sanctuary to protect Rothschild giraffes and black rhinos.

The park has recently been enlarged partly to provide the sanctuary for the black rhino. This undertaking has necessitated a fence – to keep out poachers rather than to restrict the movement of wildlife. The park now has more than 25 rhinos, one of the largest concentrations in the country, so the chances of spotting these survivors are good. There are also a number of Rothschild’s giraffe, again translocated for safety from western Kenya beginning in 1977. Waterbuck are very common and both the Kenyan species are found here. Among the predators are lion and leopard, the latter being seen much more frequently in recent times. The park also has large sized pythons that inhabit the dense woodlands, and can often be seen crossing the roads or dangling from trees.
A small (it varies from 5 to 45 square kilometers) shallow alkaline lake on the southern edge of the town of Nakuru lies about 160 kilometers north of Nairobi. It can therefore be visited in a day tour from the capital or more likely as part of a circuit taking in the Masai Mara or Lake Baringo and east to Samburu. The lake is world famous as the location of the greatest bird spectacle on earth – myriads of fuchsia pink flamingos whose numbers are legion, often more than a million – or even two million. They feed on the abundant algae, which thrives in the warm waters. Scientists reckon that the flamingo population at Nakuru consumes about 250,000 kilos of algae per hectare of surface area per year. There are two types of flamingo species: the Lesser flamingo can be distinguished by its deep red carmine bill and pink plumage unlike the greater, which has a bill with a black tip.

The Lesser flamingos are ones that are commonly pictured in documentaries mainly because they are large in number. The number of Flamingos has been decreasing recently, perhaps due to too much tourism, pollution resulting from industries waterworks nearby who dump waste into the waters or simply because of changes in water quality which makes the lake temporarily inhospitable. Usually, the lake recedes during the dry season and floods during the wet season. In recent years, there have been wide variations between the dry and wet seasons’ water levels. It’s suspected that this is caused by increasing watershed land conversion to intensive crop production and urbanization, both which reduce the capacity of soils to absorb water, recharge ground waters and thus increase seasonal flooding. Pollution and drought destroy the flamingos’ food, Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, and causing them to migrate to the nearby Lakes, more recently lakes Elmenteita, Simbi Nyaima and Bogoria. Local climate changes have also been hypothesized to contribute to the changing environmental conditions in the lakes catchment.

Recent media reports indicate increasing concern among stakeholders, as mass flamingo migrations and deaths could spell doom to the tourism industry. The flamingos feed on algae, created from their droppings mixing in the warm alkaline waters, and plankton. But flamingo are not the only avian attraction, also present are two large fish eating birds, pelicans and cormorants. Despite the tepid and alkaline waters, a diminutive fish, Tilapia grahami has flourished after being introduced in the early 1960s. The lake is rich in other birdlife. There are over 400 resident species on the lake and in the surrounding park. Thousands of both little grebes and white winged black terns are frequently seen as are stilts, avocets, ducks, and in the European winter the migrant waders. Also they have a bunch of Zebra.

Longonot is a beautiful young stratovolcano rising above the Kenya rift valley. The crater floor measures about two miles (3.2 Km) from east to west. The northern crater rim reaches an elevation of 8,583 ft. (2,617 m). According to local legends Longonot erupted in the 1860’s. When I climbed the volcano in 1967, steam was issuing from a few spots on the inner wall. The entire crater interior was heavily vegetated so that walking was difficult, and the stories that lions were there was frighteningly . Real Mount Longonot is a dormant stratovolcano located southeast of Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya, Africa. It is thought to have last erupted in the 1860s. Its name is derived from the Masai word oloonong’ot, meaning “mountains of many spurs” or “steep ridges”.

Mt. Longonot is protected by the Kenya Wildlife Service as part of Mount Longonot National Park. A trail runs from the park entrance up to the crater rim, and continues in a loop encircling the crater. The whole tour is only about 8-9 km long but very steep, so that the round trip of park gate – Longonot Peak – park gate takes around 5 hrs hiking. The gate is around 2150 m asl and the peak at 2780 m asl but following the jagged rim involves substantially more than the 630 m vertical difference. A forest of small trees covers the crater floor, and small steam vents are found spaced around the walls of the crater. The mountain is home to various species of wildlife, notably zebra and giraffe and buffaloes (droppings on the rim) and hartebeest. Leopards have also been reported but are extremely difficult to spot.
Mt. Longonot is 60 kilometres northwest of Nairobi and may be reached from there by a tarmac road. The road was re-done by the EU and is now excellent, reducing travel time from Nairobi to around an hour. A nearby town is also named Longonot. The Longonot satellite earth station is located south of the mountain.

The Maasai people of East Africa live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley on semi-arid and arid lands. The Maasai occupy a total land area of 160,000 square kilometers with a population of approximately one half million people. However, many Maasai see the national census as government meddling and often miscount their numbers to census takers. This part also they called Land of Massai because, the Maasai society is comprised of sixteen sections (known in Maasa as Iloshon): Ildamat, Irpurko, Irkeekonyokie, Iloitai, Irkaputiei, Irkankere, Isiria, Irmoitanik, Iloodokilani, Iloitokitoki, Ilarusa, Irmatatapato, Irwuasinkishu, Kore, Parakuyu, and Irkisonko, also known as Isikirari (Tanzania’s Maasai). There was also once Iltorobo section but was assimilated by other sections. A majority of the Maasai population lives in Kenya. Sections such as the Isikirari, Parakuyu, Kore and Ilarusa lives in Tanganyika.

Lake Naivasha is a beautiful freshwater lake, fringed by thick papyrus. The lake is almost 13kms across, but its waters are shallow with an average depth of five metres. Lake area varies greatly according to rainfall, with an average range between 114 and 991 sq kms. At the beginning of the 20th Century, Naivasha completely dried up and effectively disappeared. The resulting open land was farmed, until heavy rains a few years later caused the lake to return to existence, swallowing up the newly established estates. Afternoon wind and storms can cause the Lake to become suddenly rough and produce high waves. For this reason, the local Maasai christened the lake Nai’posha meaning ”rough water”, which the British later misspelt as Naivasha. The lake and its surrounds are rich in natural bounty, and the fertile soils and water supply have made this one of Kenya’s prime agricultural regions. Much of the lake is surrounded by forests of the yellow barked Acacia Xanthophlea, known as the yellow fever tree. These forests abound with bird life, and Naivasha is known as a world class birding destination. The waters of the lake draw a great range of game to these shores. Giraffes wander among the acacia, Buffalo wallow in the swamps and Colobus monkeys call from the treetops while the Lakes large hippo population sleep the day out in the shallows. The region surrounding the Lake is well worth exploring. There are two more smaller lakes nearby, Oloidien, and Sonachi, a bright green cater lake. Hell’s Gate National Park lies beside the lake. This Park was named for its pair of massive red tinged cliffs framing a geothermically active interior of steam vents and bubbling springs. The park is home to a profusion of plains game and birdlife. Walking is permitted, making it ideal for hiking, biking, and rock climbing. Boat trips on the lake are widely available, and is a great way to spend an afternoon or morning.

The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa lies across the equator in east-central Africa, on the coast of the Indian Ocean. Kenya borders Somalia to the east, Ethiopia to the north, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest. In the north, the land is arid; the southwest corner is in the fertile Lake Victoria Basin; and a length of the eastern depression of the Great Rift Valley separates western highlands from those that rise from the lowland coastal strip. Kenya has numerous wildlife reserves, containing thousands of animal species.

Kenya is situated in East Africa, and its economy runs primarily on tourism. It is a country of geographical extremes like the highest point being the Mount Kenya peak at 5119 m and the lowest point being the Indian Ocean at 0 m. It also shares a part of Lake Victoria, which is the largest lake on the continent. But Kenya has much more to offer than this and one such place is the Masai Mara. The Masai Mara is a Game park and a heaven for animal lovers as you can spot the big 5’s of Africa.