Kerio Valley lies between the Tugen Hills and the Elgeyo Escarpment in Kenya. It sits at an elevation of 1,000 meters in the Great Rift Valley. It took us a 40min drive from Eldoret town � where I school. We drove up to Samitch resort where we held a beautiful view of Kerio Valley.
With a green vegetation mostly made of forest cover. Down at the valley flows Kerio River.
A cold wind hits us as we stand and marvel at the beautiful scene, we stand gazing at the Samitch view point. For a moment we feel like climbing down the cliff just to get a touch of the tangible.
Down at the valley we could see the fluorspar mining point, a revenue hub for the Kenyan Government. Most of us are marveled by the beauty of the scene. Fresh air, birds chirping and animals howling. At the bottom lies The Kerio Valley National Reserve which was created in 1983 and is 66 square kilometers.
The sun shows upon the us as silhouette of our bodies are curved out. The sunset is here, this is the most interesting part of Kerio Valley, we can see monkeys jump from tree to tree. We hear sounds of wild animals as they walk of the forest to embrace the night.
Interesting is meeting the locals, who mainly consist of the Kalenjin community.�The southern parts of the Valley are settled by the Elgeyo people and the northern part by the Marakwet people. Tugen people live on the slopes of Tugen Hills. Very cultural at the same time welcoming. Their hospitality is overwhelming. They sit us throughout the early part of the night telling us tales of the Valley. Stories on how they fought the British colonialist from this valley. Their leader Orkoiyot had pointed out hiding points throughout the valley and, through organized attacks they were able to put up a strong resistance. The valley also served as shrines of prayer and ancestral consultations.
As we head back, the dark has engulfed the road, we drive through the bumpy road as we head back to Eldoret our town. My team and I feel enlightened at the same time, proud to be Kenyan, the geographical position of the valley is a tourist attraction by itself. An addition of the culture behind the Valley brings out the heart of a Kenyan nation that fought for its independence.
Kenya Kerio Valley