Birds of Baringo; Lake Baringo, a classified Important Bird Area (IBA)

Baringo is a well-known destination for birdwatchers and over 500 bird species have been recorded only in and around lake Baringo. In fact, several localities including area around Lake Baringo, has been classified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) for the high diversity of birds it has. IBA's are world recognized areas for bird diversity and conservation, normally selected by BirdLife international. Currently, there are about 10,000 IBA's worldwide.

A colony of up to 20 Goliath heron (Ardea goliath) has nested on one of the islands in the lake.While the diversity of water birds is considerable, Several of the Somali–Masai biome species are found at few other sites, most notably the uncommon Jackson’s hornbill (Tockus jacksonii) and Hemprich’s hornbill (Tockus hemprichii), the latter frequenting the cliffs, and Bristle-crowned starling (Onychognathus salvadorii).

Goliath heron

Jackson’s hornbill

Bristle-crowned starling

Regionally threathened!!
A number of regionally threatened species are also recorded, namely Great Crested Crebe (Podiceps cristatus) (no recent records); African darter (Anhinga rufa)- (small numbers resident, has bred on Ndau Island in the lake); Great Egret (Casmerodius albus)

Great Crested Crebe

African darter

Great Egret 

Globally threatened!!
Globally threatened species include Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni)- (a passage migrant in small flocks), Lesser flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor)- (an occasional visitor, usually on passage), Madagascar Pond-Heron (Ardeola idae)- (a rare non-breeding visitor) and Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)-(a regular passage migrant) however Lake Bogoria is a key feeding ground for the itinerant Rift Valley population of the Near Threatened Phoenicopterus minor (Lesser Flamingo). Spectacular congregations (estimated at up to 2 million birds) occur at times, and several hundred thousand birds are often present, with numbers fluctuating less than on other Rift Valley lakes. This is just a drop of what you can enjoy in entirely Baringo.

Lesser kestrel

Lesser flamingo

Madagascar Pond-Heron (Non- breeding look)

Madagascar Pond-Heron (Breeding look)

Edible indigenous plants within forests of Baringo

Early each day, deep inside Baringo, herds boys, medicine men, adventurers, the religious and tourists venture into the cool, refreshing, relaxing, healing, food-rich and quenching forests, for various useful activities...

...these forests are satisfying and addictive that whoever ventures is caught by the dusk unawares. For food, nature provides to satiety. Fruits are plenty and water is reachable and free! 

Safari ya Baringo takes note of some of the edible forest fruits inside forests of Baringo, occuring within Tarambas, Chemasusu, Kipng'ochoch, Katemok, Lembus, Mochongoi and Kinyo forests; and within other forested community lands, East and West of the Tugen Hills, from Cheploch to Arabal, from Bartabwa to Cheberen.


Botanic name: Uvaria scheffleri Diels
Family: Annonaceae
Local name: Taminget
Distribution: Mid to low altitudes of the county (700-900 meters asl). It is a liana (woody climber) which grows well in association with other shrubs. It barely exceeds a height of 3.5 meters.
The fruits of this plant is pulpy and uniquely sweet and a boy wouldn't mind a boring herding day in exchange of it.

Uvaria scheffleri

Uvaria scheffleri

Botanic name: Dovyalis macrocalyx (Oliv.) Warb.
Family: Flacourtiaceae
Local name: Tabirbiryek/ Kapchapeniek
Distribution: High altitude montane or dryland forests. It is a shrub to a tree with spines/ thorns. Fruit is sweet when ripe and sour when raw. It takes a lesser effort to swallow the fruit pulp alongside the seed. This tree normally fruits twice annually after the long rains.

Fruits of Dovyalis macrocalyx

Botanic name: Carissa edulis (Forssk.) Vahl
Family: Apocynaceae
Local name: Likitityek/ Likititwo
Distribution: Mainly at high altitude parts of the county but also distributed to the mid altitude areas. This is the famous Loliondo plant! Fruit and leaf parts of this plant has milky latex, which is medicinal and poisonous in equal measures. Ripe fruits are glossy black while unripe ones are green-to-reddish.

Carissa edulis

Botanic name: Acokanthera schimperi (A.DC.) Schweinf.
Family: Apocynaceae
Local name: Kelwek/ Kelwonde
Distribution: Mainly at high altitude parts of the county but also distributed to the mid altitude areas. Its fruit is poisonous if eaten in large amounts. It is also only edible when fully ripe. It is speculated as an active ingredient in the arrow poison but considering the conservative nature of the Tugen blacksmiths, I may not give a reliable assurance. Indeed, the common names for this plant include Common poison bush and arrow-poison tree (english)

Acokanthera schimperi

Botanic name: Flacourtia indica (Burm.f) Merr.
Family: Flacourtiaceae
Local name: Tangururyek/ Tangururwo
Distribution: Mid altitudes of the county. The fruit is sweet when ripe, but sour when raw. The fruits are well guarded by the long, sharp thorns the plant possesses. It leaves you desperately thirsty after a real eating.

Flacourtia indica- unripe fruits

Flacourtia indica- ripe fruits

Botanic name: Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lam.
Family: Rutaceae
Local name: Ketemek/ Ketemwe
Distribution. Occur in a bit disturbed or open parts of high altitude forests. Fruits are irritatingly coarse when eaten in large amounts. It is mainly eaten because it is medicinal and therefore only consumed by those with such a perspective. The plant is a creeping liana with curved hooks and is not fancied by many.

Toddalia asiatica

Botanic name: Physalis peruviana L.
Family: Solanaceae
Local name: Tolyok
Distribution: It can be found in disturbed localities with much humus. It belongs to same family with tomatoes, Solanum sp. and Managu (Sochik). It is a favourite to many as it has minute seeds and a mouthful of juice per fruit.

Physalis peruviana

Botanic name: Rhus natalensis Krauss
Family: Anacardiaceae
Local name: Siryek/ Sirwe
Distribution: Plant is shrub to a tree liana growing rarely in an upright orientation. It is distributed along edges or areas with open canopies throughout mid altitude forests within the county. It is also widespread elsewhere. Fruits can be munched or soaked to produce juice.

Rhus natalensis

Botanic name: Vangueria madagascariensis J.F.Gmel.
Family: Rubiaceae
Local name: Komolik/ Komolwo
Distribution: It is of same family with coffee. It is a tree found in varying habitats throughout mid and high altitude forests in the county. In an undisturbed forest, it is capable of growing above 12 meters. Its ripe fruit has a thick, sweet pulp which can be eaten as such or fermented to make juice.

Vangueria madagascariensis

Botanic name: Ziziphus mucronata Willd.
Family: Rhamnaceae
Local name: ?
Distribution: Found in low altitude arid localities of the county. Has a unique sweet taste however becomes hard and less juicy when ripe and ones struggles with its large seeds.

Ziziphus mucronata

Botanic name: Tamarindus indica L. 

Family: Caesalpinaceae
Local name: Aryek
Distribution: It is widely distributed in lowlands and mainly along river beds. It is a legume tree, which can easily be confused for an acacia. Its ripe fruits are sour-sweet and produces world class juice. In fact at Kenyan coast towns, tamarind juice is a common feature in menus at restaurants.

Tamarindus indica

Botanic name: Rubus pinnatus Willd.
Family: Rosaceae
Local name: ?
Distribution: This is a fruit berry plant from same family with rose flower. There is a widespread of this plant in high altitude, moist forests. A variety of plants of this genus are also found in our Baringo forests, for instance, Rubus niveus, Rubus keniensis, Rubus friesiorum. Elsewhere, culivar varieties of this plant is commercialized and you are unlikely to miss its packed berries in grocery sections of supermarkets. Its highly palatable and nutritious; I cannot wait longer for my next visit to the forest!

Rubus pinnatus

Botanic name: Piliostigma thonningii (Schumach.) Milne-Redh.
Family: Caesalpinaceae
Local name: Mindililwo?
Distribution: This is leguminous plant distributed in mid altitudes of Baringo county. This plant differ a bit with the rest from its edible parts. While fruits of a majority are the edible parts, the terminal ,soft and fresh leaves of this plant is chewed for its sour sap. It is nutritional as well. It is liked mainly by children herding in graze lands.

Piliostigma thonningii

Botanic name: Lantana trifolia L.
Family: Verbanaceae
Local name: Sekechew/ Sekechewo
Distribution: It is a shrub occurring in disturbed areas, open canopies or grasslands of high altitude forests. Its fruits are clustered but easily pip off with little pressure. Fruits are pink colored when ripe.

A fruiting Lantana trifolia

Lantana trifolia in flower

Botanic name: Syzygium guineense (Willd.) DC.
Family: Myrtaceae
Local name: Lamaek
Distribution: Describing indigenous fruits is always incomplete without a mention of this plant. It is an enormous tree growing majorly on river valleys. It is often used as indicator of a shallow water table. Ripe fruits are pink to black. It takes an effort of a careful experienced climber or a sharp shooting catapulter to reach the fruits. It is a motivator for anyone willing to take up the chore of herding the livestock to the river for watering. Other species of same genus, for instance Syzigium cuminii is commercialized and are on sale in famous fruit markets like Nairobi's Ngara.

Syzygium guineense in flower

A fruiting Syzygium guineense

Top schools of Baringo county: Landscapes and structures

When you visit the schools of Baringo, the most noticeable features are the magnificent architectural designs and the beautiful landscapes in which structures are located. Natural forests and plantations are beautifully maintained in the most strategic parts of the compounds. These provide the best learning environment for their students; no wonder they are among Kenya's best performers!

Kabarnet High School

Kabarnet boys school is arguably one of the oldest schools in the country. It was established during the British rule in Kenya. The School is a center for excellence and it boasts to have nurtured a significantly high number of respected Kenyans hitting headlines today. It has always ranked among the top 100 schools nationally. The outstanding design of the administration block became a recognizable landmark when it was selected as the main feature in the ten shillings note, now out of circulation. Several other buildings in the school compound have a monumental touch in them and have withstood test of time. Like Sacho, a notable amount of land has been dedicated to preserve native plants and you can literally feel a change in climate as you enter the compound. 

  Above is the front view of the school's administration building and below is a ten shillings note showing the rear view.

Sacho High School:

It was established in 1982 by the second president of Kenya, Daniel Arap Moi, and is being sponsored by the AIC. It is a mixed boarding school situated in a quiet hilly terrain within Sacho division. Viewing its compound from above, the well planned structures integrate harmoniously with the forest. Tracks and roads in the compound are paved.

Ranking national performance, the school has constantly been emerging top in Baringo and among the best in Kenya

Kapropita Girls High School

Kapropita girls is among the best performers in the province and nationally. Over the times, it has played a key role in instilling knowledge and societal morals to girls who have grown to become among the respected leaders, entrepreneurs and civil servants in todays society. The institution is habitat for special plants that grow on moist rocky environment that the school compound is. Not only has the school maintained this habitat by preserving and enriching the plant density in the compound, it has also made use of the forest to add an ornamental value to its modern buildings.

Kituro High School

As old as Kabarnet, Kituro High was established by the catholic missionaries who settled in Kituro area in the 1940's. It is a mixed boarding public school. Owed to the early year it was established, the school was among the few and therefore served education seekers from far and wide. It has excelled in its educational goals and and other objectives including recreation and community service. The schools administration has contributed significantly in conservation of the environment through maintenance of a community water catchment and by dedicating a large portion of its land to forestry.

Tabagon girls School

Tabagon is a relatively new girls school situated in Sacho division. Despite it being a young entity, it has courageously competed with giant schools and without disappointment excelled in education and co- curricular activities. The school is located in a serene and quiet environment, conducive for learning. Its new buildings, blending well with the adjacent forest, adds glamour to the usually silent neighborhood. It is being looked upon by the community to become a beacon of hope for girls from within the county and also nationally.

Pemwai Girls High School

Pemwai is a beautifully designed girls school situated on the edges of Katemok forest. The girls industrious nature and the management commitment to excel, have handed them the much deserved success in education and and extra-curricular activities. Tracking their KCSE performances over the years, the school has constantly been improving and is therefore deservedly among the best schools of Baringo county.

Baringo High School

It was until recently a mixed boarding school before the management changed it, for a good reason, to a boys school. It is situated in Eldama Ravine and is the school bearing the name of the county. It has a state-of-the-art architecturally designed administration block, which also serve as class rooms. The school has been performing pretty well in all disciplines but in the recent 2011 KCSE results, Baringo surprised many by becoming among the most improved schools in the country. It is also determined to shatter records in the next exam series.

All said, the interesting bit is that all these schools have a prick red roof! Maybe it is the charm behind their excellence!

Photos Courtesy: Ndumia, Robert, Chris, Baringo HS

Taita Hills: The eastern most of the Eastern Arc Mountains

Safari ya Baringo took its recent expedition to Taita Taveta County, Coast province of Kenya.Taita Hills is the destination....

 ....Taita Hills is a section of the Eastern Arc, a chain of ancient mountains covered by rain forests which stretches in a curved orientation from Southern Tanzania to Southeastern Kenya.

                                  Map courtesy: Eastern Arc Conservation Endowment Fund

Taita hills are mainly inselbergs, i.e, rock hills isolated after they withstand a long time exposure to erosion- at times through tens of millions of years.

Taita Taveta is a lowland dry savanna lying on the eastern plateau of Kenya. Altitude at these plains ranges from 500- 900 meters above sea level. Taita hills are isolated mountains surrounded by these plains. From the scorching temperatures of the low elevated areas such as Voi, Mwatate, Campi ya Bibi and Tsavo, Taita hills shoots to an amazingly cool 2,200 plus meters.

A bird's view of Rukanga area as seen from Rukinga hill, an example of the lowlands surrounding Taita hills; and below are cloud forests in Wundanyi and Mbololo areas, examples of high altitude and heavily forested areas of Taita Hills.

                                                                      The Weso rock!

                   Above is a thick, moist forest; and below is an illustration of its sun-proof canopy

     Taita hills is a hotspot for biodiversity, and has continually attracted researchers and tourists!

Above is an example of Taita as a research station; and below are examples of unique flora and fauna in the forest

                      Taita hills is also a water tower, a reason for life in the harsh climate below

Above is a water source and a pan in the hills; and below a reservoir, source of domestic water for the communities living adjacent

              Taita too has a culture. The best resting place for elders are some caves found in forest!

Fatigue of a tiresome climb to Taita Hills can be properly erased by few shots of whisky and the breathtaking sunset!... Justice for the body and soul

Photos Courtesy: Chesire Chris & Ken Wambua