The Samburu had been drawn to this region by the existence of the Ewaso Ng’iro, northern Kenya’s biggest river, for watering their herds. This road would take you through an area that was home to several northern pastoralist ethnic groups that managed to keep livestock in this harsh environment in particular the Samburu, close relatives of the Maasai. At the time we did not require special permits to proceed as the Shifta (rebels) were calm.įrom then to the north you would join a very wide, reddish and straight, army-like, road that had bad corrugations, seemingly endless. It was the last town of any size to refuel and, if lucky, buy those things that you may have forgotten to pack in Nairobi, now 270 km to the south.

It was not more than a few buildings that included a market, a mosque, a church a bank and a craft training centre. I always considered Isiolo as the gateway to the north as well as the end of the tarmac. The road would then start its downhill way and soon you would remove your added layers of clothing and eventually reach Isiolo. You were looking towards the Northern Frontier District and beyond, many hundreds of kilometres away there will be the borders of Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia. The view was breathtaking as the arid scrubland speckled with kojpes extended as far as the eye could see anticipating warmth while you were still freezing. A stop to take in the view was a must but it had to be accompanied by putting on warmer clothes and even a rain-proof jacket for a few minutes while admiring the view as cold drizzling was common there! You first will drive through the very fertile areas located in the then Central Province such as Murang’a and then start a climb that will take you through the cold slopes of the mountain from where you will then catch the first glimpse of clear skies. Kenya (via Nyeri) the trip was fascinating. Whether you passed east (via Embu) or west from Mt. Photo Andre Brunsperger.Īlthough Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves were the most visited, there were others such as Kora, Marsabit and Lake Turkana National Parks (the latter including Sibiloi National Park, Central and South island) and the Shaba National Reserve that we also visited but more on that later.

Reticulated giraffe predators