Baringo, the county with two amazing lakes

By Sharon Tanui

Baringo county is situated in the rift valley in Kenya, it is characterized by semi-arid climate and lots of sun. Despite all that, Baringo has a lot to offer, in terms of sights and sounds. Let me take you to the land of honey, watermelon and lots of goat meat.

Baringo is blessed to have two lakes that call it home, Lake Baringo and Lake Bogoria, well known for its hot water springs. Baringo is also home to the Pokot tribe and the Tugen, both have rich cultures and still observe traditional customs.

Baringo hosts the Mogotio equator rescue Centre for tortoises, founded in 2008 by Jacob Toroitich, to help rescue tortoises from being hit by cars or the roads or rescuing them from angry farmers who would kill the animals because they destroyed their crops. It also hosts a snake park. The equator also passes through this amazing county.

Baringo is characterized by lots of sunshine and shrubby bushes due to its semi-arid climate. This kind of environment doesn’t allow for much farming, but that doesn’t mean that, Baringo doesn’t have farms. with its large farms of sisal at Mogotio, and places like kabarnet being conducive for a bit of farming. Perkerra irrigation scheme is a project that was started in 1952 by the colonial government to help grow crops in the region through irrigation.

The perkerra scheme gets its water supply from the river perkerra, which is the only permanent river in the region. There are 3000 acres under irrigation in the perkerra plains, that is where large amounts of watermelon are produced and sold in bulk, or by vendors by the roadside.

A trip to Baringo will require you to carry your sunscreen and lots of water to hydrate if you are not a local and already adapted to the weather.
Starting your trip to Baringo from Nakuru will take you on one of the roads with beautiful scenery. A few kilometers from Nakuru town, the first center you will come by in Baringo county is kampi ya Moto, it is characterized by small shops by the roadside and vendors in their stalls.

The next place you will get to is Mogotio ,it is characterized by large farms of sisal. You will also come across the equator, this is where the equator crosses, you can get off and take a break here, and take a picture by the big globe that is there. You will occasionally find someone, doing experiments to show you how the equator pull works, usually they will have a bucket of water and a match stick floating on it.

The other place you should visit while in Baringo, is the Lake Baringo, this lake has rivers feeding in it, but has no obvious outlet. Getting to the lake will require you to drive off the main Nakuru -kabarnet road, the lake can be seen right from the road. As you get to the lake you will find a couple of fishermen by the shores of the lake with their fresh fish, or them trying to clean out their nets.

The lake also has seven islands namely Lokoro,Rongena, Lengai, Samatian, Olkokwa, Parmolos and Devil’s island which
has a bit of a story from the locals claiming that they could hear people screaming from the island though its empty. Take a boat ride with one of the locals at a price of 3000 Kenyan shillings per boat ride and a boat can sit up to 8 people, and get to experience the waters first hand.

The islands also have Luxury resorts like Samatian Lodge, Island Camp Resort and Robert’s Camp which offer Accommodation
and a pack of activities to do on your retreat.

A boat ride in lake Baringo with take you on a thrilling adventure, that will require you to have a strong heart, but the adventure will also pay off, the waters are infested with crocodiles and Hippopotamus. On the ride you will probably spot one or two heads of Crocodiles popping out of the waters, or sometimes just spot their air bubbles. You will also come across a few island locals on their rafts transporting fish to the mainland and also bringing food and other supplies to the islands.

The islands are beautiful and can be very picturesque if you are a scenic environment photograph lover. You can also stop at one of the islands that have hot springs, or go to one of the resorts on the islands. Enjoy your boat ride across the lake and don’t be afraid to ask your guide any questions about the locals and their culture.

After an amazing boat ride at lake Baringo and maybe even getting fish, head down to lake Bogoria. This lake boasts of two attractions, the hot springs, which some people claim that it has some healing properties. The steam from the hot springs can have a pungent smell, but this is due to the Sulphur and minerals in the water. The other attraction is the flamingos that colour the lake pink.

Lake Bogoria is quite an attraction to both the locals and also tourists.one of the activities one can try at this place are,
boiling eggs at the hot springs or have a picnic with your friends.

Having had an amazing trip to both lakes, you can continue your trip to kabarnet ,which is the headquarters of Baringo. The journey itself is not short of amazing scenery, from the beautiful rolling hills and the eye capturing landscapes and valleys. If you are full of imagination, your mind will be wowed and you can get lost in all that is there to see.

Right before you get to kabarnet ,you will get to koriema ,make sure to stop by here and buy honey, or watermelon from one of the many vendors, who will run up to your car to try and sell something to you.

If you love meat, do not leave koriema without trying their Mbuzi Choma (roasted goat meat). The meat is usually perfectly grilled without any additives, since the meat is already flavoured by nature and from the shrubs the goats feed on. You can Continue your journey to kabarnet , Kabarnet is a small town, that is situated on one of the hills, of the highland parts of Baringo.

Its vegetation is usually green, despite being surrounded by semi-arid places all around. Enjoy yourself with the locals and eat good quality Nyama Choma and fresh mangoes.

Baringo has a lot to offer and once you visit there, you will definitely want to visit again. So, call your friends and go on that Baringo road trip and don’t forget to enjoy yourself.