Nairobi. The journey from Nairobi to Kisumu
(described in our Transect Drive 1) has an alternative route. The route is
about 380 kilometres long, and takes about 7 and a half hours by bus, and about 5 and a half hours by
car. Your immediate challenge will be disengaging from the heavy traffic of
Kenya’s capital city, after which you drive along Waiyaki Way and Naviasha Road
towards Limuru. Just as you get to Limuru is the road junction leading to the Rift
Valley escarpment and Maai Mahiu town. It’s at this junction that the route divergence
takes place.
Escarpment. Not long after Limuru, one has to navigate a 9 kilometre stretch of road built along the eastern wall of the Great Rift Valley. Some sections of the road are so close to the edge of the steep cliff that a wrong manoeuvre can send you plummeting hundreds of feet to the floor of the Rift Valley. The escarpment drive is certainly not one for the fainthearted. The scenery, though, is second to none and makes the passage worth the risk. At a stopover area known as Viewpoint one can pause to enjoy the scenery and buy artefacts from the many curio dealers around.
ReplyDeleteMaai Mahiu. The trepidation of driving along the escarpment turns to relief as you descend past an old World War 2-era Italian chapel to Maai Mahiu town. The small town, whose name in the Kikuyu language means ‘hot water’, mainly serves as a truck stop. Many small restaurants, bars, and shops are to be found here, serving truck crews and the surrounding villages. At Maai Mahiu is a major road junction, with one road leading to Naivasha town and the other to Narok town. It’s the road to Narok that we take on our way to Kisumu.
ReplyDeleteMaai Mahiu-Narok Road. After Maai Mahiu, on your way to Narok, there is really not much to see except four items that catch your eye: (1) the escarpment that you are leaving behind which is an interesting sight. You can actually see the tiny line of vehicles driving on the delicate single carriageway road up there. (2) two white gigantic satellite telecommunication receivers to the left of the road. These are part of the Longonot Satellite Earth Station (3) mount Longonot to your right (4) mount Suswa to the left of the road. This section of the road is currently in very good condition and drivers can attain thrilling speeds. For passengers, it is usually difficult to resist napping along this leg.
ReplyDeleteNarok. Narok is a fairly big town in this part of the country. Located about 143 kilometres from Nairobi, Narok is situated in a semi-arid climatic environment. The dusty environment, however, should not deceive you as the town is fairly prosperous. This is mainly as a result of large-scale wheat farming that is done in the extensive farms all around. The town is also located on the route to the world-famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve which is about 100 kilometres away. Narok therefore serves as an ideal stopover point for those heading that way. Numerous hotels and restaurants are found here, as are banks, service stations, and schools. Public service vehicles heading to western Kenya stop here for passengers to refresh.
ReplyDeleteBomet. After Narok, this is the next big town on this journey. About 225 kilometres from Nairobi, it is located in the fertile and well-watered highland areas of the Rift Valley region, and is abuzz with commercial activity. Tea farming takes place in the surrounding areas and contributes to the economic well-being of the town. At Bomet you branch off from the road leading to Sotik and Kisii, and head towards Litein.
ReplyDeleteLitein. This is a small town located on the Kericho-Sotik road. It is about 30 kilometres from Kericho, and is in the heart of a tea-growing region. Maize and dairy farming also takes place here. There is not much to see along the road except hectares and hectares of tea plantations. The area can also be quite rainy.
ReplyDeleteKapkatet. After Litein one drives through Kapkatet town, famous for its small stadium where defining proclamations have been made during political rallies in recent years. Again there is not much to see around this area except many tea collection and weighing centres. Just before getting to Kericho town is found the junction to the road leading to Kisumu. From here on the journey is as described in our Transect Drive 1.
ReplyDelete