Country Info
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Kisumu

The Journey

A bumpy road leads through Molo on the Great North Road that traverses Kenya leading into Uganda. The tarmac road leads past the Mau summit as the air becomes cooler and the scenery improves with patches of forest appearing by the roadside.

The Londiani junction is a good place to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at good rates from the many vegetable sellers.

Onto Kedowa, until finally we arrive at the tea fields of Kericho, 266 km from Nairobi. Our stop over is the Tea Hotel, the hotel with the air of a country club modernized to meet international standards.

The tea is grown and processed by the hotel, in step with the high quality trends of the tea brewers in Kericho district. Regardless of how many times you may have passed through Kericho you can never get tired of viewing the neatly aligned rows of acres and acres of tea plantations broken by compact groups of Blue Gum trees.

We drive on into an area that I've never visited before, hence my need for a map. This is Muhoroni, an area interspersed with subsistence farms and trees. On such a long trip as this you may find it useful to have an MP3 player to while away the hours.

Kisumu

Western Kenya is blessed with good roads and not much traffic. It's been a long ride, but eventually we arrive at the Sunset Hotel in Kisumu city. Sunset hotel is located just 5 minutes from the city centre and 15 minutes from Kisumu Airport. It has a capacity of 50 rooms and 100 beds, either standard or suites, all air-conditioned with satellite TV, separate shower & bath, and all with an uninterrupted view of Lake Victoria. As the name suggests, visitors from all over the world visit the hotel to view the sun setting from the privacy of their rooms. Rates are based on bed and breakfast in standard rooms. Also available is a gift shop and swimming pool.

The Kenya Tourist Development Corporation has teamed up with this hotel in a strategic alliance to develop tourism in the region. Unfortunately it's name does little to cever up for its current dilapdated state. My friends and I make the mistake of asking the staff for permission to heat up our take-away nyama choma in their microwave, which is surrounded by happily scampering cockroaches of a size not pleasant to imagine. The dirty smelly kitchen surfaces do little to encourage our appetites so we quickly make off back to the room.

The next morning we venture out to explore Kisumu. This is the third largest city in Kenya and the main town on Lake Victoria. It was founded in 1901 during the construction of the Kenya-Uganda railway and flourished as a trading port with Tanzania and Uganda. Kisumu is a business and transportation hub, with service by road, rail, ship and air. Bicycle transport is very popular here, on bikes that are known as ‘ngware' or 'boda boda' in other towns.

Kisumu is hot and humid during the day, temperatures varying from between 28 to 35 deg. Centigrade. It's much cooler on the lakeshores because of the breeze blowing in from the lake. We visit Dunga beach, one of the many beaches where fishermen sell their fresh catch.

This is the most common activity here. Hardly any farming is done because fishing has been the community's source of livelihood through the ages. The women who sell the fish are mostly widows who have no other source of income. From the boats the fish are sold, then weighed in a separate area, and dried. At least 3 types of fish are caught- nile perch, tilapia and omena (eating omena is an interesting experience as it calls for the eater to ignore the tiny eyes staring back at you- the bodies are too small to chop anything off so everything is eaten!). The fish are sold immediately because most shores do not have cold storage facilities. One delicacy for certain at this lakeside city is fried fish fresh from the lake served with a generous helping of ugali and kachumbari or sukuma wiki...fingerlicking good!

Impala Sanctuary

Though in a city there is a place to view wildlife. Head just south of the city to the Impala Wildlife Sanctuary which is run by the Kenya Wildlife Service. At a reasonable fee view the animals that live in cages like the ostriches, tortoises and turtles, as well as problem animals like a shy female leopard that became a menace when it lived out of captivity because it would kill domestic animals. There's also a spotted hyena -

Other animals include baboons and the big-eared silver backed jackals. You can view Impalas at very close range- the sanctuary was created to protect and contain herds of Impala that roamed within Kisumu town, hence its name.

There are a number of picnic sites within the park with benches so all you need to bring is your packed food and drink.

Ndere Island

In the afternoon we visit Ndere Island, a newly gazetted park that is just off the northern shore of Lake Victoria. Access to the park is by road or boat from Kisumu, through a little lakeside town and once again pay a fee for boat and guide hire from KWS.

The lake's waters roughen in the afternoon, otherwise it is a pleasant ride with a cool breeze blowing all around. Ndere means ‘meeting place' in the Luo language. According to the Luo a woman called Kitmikayi rested near Ndere after her long journey south down the Nile valley. She found the lush shorelines so pleasing that she and her people stayed. The vegetation is primarily glades in upland areas and fringing woodland along the shores.

The island park is favoured by Impala and monkeys, no predators live here so you can comfortably walk around. Or alternatively just take a pleasant boat ride there and back to the mainland in time with the fishermen bringing their afternoon catch home.  

Strange rocks

Surrounding the lake is a strange spread of rocks that defy gravity- boulders balanced on smaller boulders, strangely positioned considering where they lie. We unsuccessfully try to find out their origin, though suspicions abound that that at one time the lake reached much farther inland because the rocks are arranged similar to those on a riverbed or lakebed. They are rounded and smooth, as if they had been subject to corrosion by water for thousands of years.

Kitmikayi

There is a particular pile of rocks that has a story. This is Kitmikayi, a historic rock in Seme, Kisumu district. According to legend, this rock was once a powerful man who was turned into stone by his wife, because he used to mistreat her.

It was largely relied on in ancient times for fortunes. People from all over western Kenya came to visit it seeking rainmaking skills, wealth, success in war, longevity of life and many other fortunes. Elders would offer sacrifices here for visitors who'd bring gifts like cattle and various crops. Because the rock was a highly honoured place, visitors would have to dance for it as an indication of good will.

Kisumu by Night

Sunset Hotel is at least reknowned for its weekend nightlife. Being a Friday night back at the hotel we enjoy the Luo Ohangla dance, courtesy of the Ohangla band. We practice our dancing skills as we step in tune to the addictive ethnic beats, although I had to keep asking what exactly the lead singer was talking about. The band usually sings about issues affecting society, for instance today he is advising people to behave morally. The crowd is huge, drinks are fairly priced, and I am informed that every Friday night this is the place to be all night long for fun and festivity. By the end of it all, I believe I'm convinced.

Accommodation rates and images

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The Western circuit:-

• Kabarnet
• Kakamega
• Mount Elgon
• Kitale - Saiwa Swamp
• Kogelo - The land of Obama's origins