The newest wildlife sanctuary in Kenya

 As you drive on the Nauru-Nairobi highway the sight of Lake Elementaita will certainly catch your attention especially with its pink colored islands and shorelines. You may as well spot gazelles and zebras grazing on the open plains. This is Lake Elementaita, a soda that is the newest wildlife sanctuary in Kenya today.

Lake Elementeita is the only breeding ground for the great white Pelican in Kenya and neighboring countries. These fish-eating birds nest on rocky islands in the lake. In addition, the lake attracts visiting flamingos, both the Greater and Lesser varieties, which feed on the lake's crustaceans and insect larvae and on its suspended blue-green algae, respectively.

 The lake surroundings have a rich history. Nearby is the Kariandusi Museum, which is an important prehistoric site where stone hand-axes and cleavers were discovered in 1928 by Louis Leakey. Elementeita Badlands is a lava flow to the south of the lake covered in bush and including some spectacular scenic peaks in the nearby Utut area.

 The survival of Lake Elementeita and its environs have been threatened by incompatible land use practices. KWS has been working with the stakeholders around Lake Elementeita and its catchment area to come up with mitigation measures. This led to the formation of an organization called Greater Lake Elementeita Conservation Area ( GLECA) to push for the enhancement of conservation status of the area. After a series of consultation with stakeholders including the local communities, it was finally agreed that Lake Elementeita be accorded the status of protected area.

The Minister for Wildlife and Forestry Hon. Dr. Noah Wekesa formally gazetted it on 6th July 2010 as a Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is approximately 2533.9 hectares.

Following the gazettement, KWS and GLECA are now working towards completion of the sanctuary’s Management Plan which will chart out issues to do with environmental conservation, tourism, and community enterprise and business development among others. KWS and GLECA are in the process of demarcating the boundaries, developing infrastructure and stationing personnel in the area to ensure illegal activities that are detrimental to the ecological integrity are checked.

With this new development it is expected that tourism activities will be improved and diversified for the benefit of the local community while at the same time securing space for wildlife.

Lake Elementeita together with Lakes Nakuru and Bogoria have also been nominated for enlistment as World Heritage Site. We look forward to to that. Have a nice visit in these Rift Valley lakes.

 PKP.  safaris kenya desk.