Kenya camping:The home of Njemps community

 Lake Baringo is in the northern part of the Great Rift Valley with a surface area of 168 square kilometers and elevation of about 3,180feets above the sea level. The lake is fed by several rivers, Molo, Endao, Perrkera and Ol arabal, and has no obvious outlet but it has been believed to have underground outlet in the northern part of the lake. The waters are assumed to seep through lake sediments into the faulted volcanic bedrock. It lies off the beaten track in a hot and dusty setting bed rock. It is a critical habitat and refuge for more than 500 species of birds and fauna.      A Goliath heronry is located on a rocky island known as Devil Island.

The tugen hills, an uplifted faulted fault block of volcanic and metamorphic rocks, lies west of the lake which runs for approximately twenty kilometers long which enhance the best attraction as a view point to the lake and all surroundings. The laikipia escarpment lies to the east. Water flows into the lake from the Mau hills and Tugen hills. The lake also provides an invaluable habitat for five fresh water fish species namely: Tilapia, cat fish, lung fish, Libelous and black barbas.Tilapia is endemic to the lake.

The Africa lung fish which was introduced to the lake and which now provides the majority of fish output from the lake. The lake is commonly turbid with sediments, partly due to intense soil erosion in the catchments especially on the south of lake. Lake fishing is important to the local social and economic development. The most fishermen round the lake are the IIchamus community who normally lives in the islands and at the southern shore of the lake.

The lake has several small islands:Ol kokwa, Devil island, Rongena island,Parmolok island,lokoros island,kopuso island and Longicharo island. The longest island being Ol Kokwa Island is an extinct volcanic which is located at the centre of the lake? The island measuring five kilometers in length and one kilometer across which is a bout five hundred hectares of land. A group of hot springs discharge a long the shoreline  north –eastern corner of the island and has several fumarole,some of which have precipitated sulphur deposits.Ilchamus community inhabit this island where five hundred and seventy people lives here. Both women and men they practice fishing as their main economic activity. They used a simple raft made of balsa wood as a mode of transport. At this island, a school, dispensary, and fish market is available here.

The Parmolok Island is the second largest island of about ninety hectares of land. The island is being owned by Ilchamus Moran who intended to marry five wives and blessed to have twenty seven children. It is quite unique island due to vegetations of medicinal plants .The rocks arrangement of this island facilitate good view .He keeps Goats, Sheep ,Cattle and poultry Apart from this he does fishing to earn a better living for the family

Peter K. Philip

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