IcFEM Gap Volunteers

Kakamega is a small town which lies in Kenyans second largest ethnic group, Luyha. This ethnic group is divided up into sub clans, they rely on agriculture as their big resource. This rainforest used to stretch across the whole of the continent but now it just covers 23,000 ha, and the forest is protected from human encroachment and logging because of the tea plantations which act as buffer zone around the forest. Each year the locals receive a certain amount of money from these plantations. There are two parts to the forest, the southern part is called Kakamega Forest Reserve which is managed by the Forestry Department and the Kakamega Forest National Reserve is managed by the Kenyan Wildlife Service. There are 350 species of trees, when you walk through the forest, you’ll notice how tall the trees are, which can reach 60m high. One of the trees known as the soft wooded parasol tree, is used to make traditional Kenyan drums and is also known to be used when the female monkeys have delivered her babies. There are also 350 species of bird life, 400 species of butterflies and the rarely seen 30 species of snake including the python. The Kakamega Forest Reserve is home to the black and white Colobus , Sykes, de Brazza and Red Tailed monkeys. You’ll also have the chance to see bush pigs, clawless otters, porcupines, civet, suni, ground pangolin, grey duiker and flying squirrels, bush babies and potto.

Once you have walked through the Tropical Rainforest, with the black and white Colobus Monkeys swinging by, and the birds singing, you’ll be taken to the Rondo Retreat Centre which is located in the Kakamega Rain Forest. This is where you’ll have dinner and sleep for the night. The next day, after having a nice English breakfast, you can carry on with the experience of the Tropical Rainforest by going on the Rondo Retreat Hiking Trail. The trail starts with the rolling lawns and flowerbeds of Rondo’s upper garden, already alive with animals and birds. Descending in the dappled light to the fish pond and paths of the lower garden with dancing butterflies before and behind. And leading out into the forest proper accompanied by a piercing cacophony, or left alone in intriguing silence never knowing what one might see around the next corner. This is one of Rondo’s very own trails that runs right down to and along the Yala River. Out in the sunshine again you can climb Lirhanda Hill that rises above the forest canopy with stunning vistas of the forest and surrounding countryside.

On the way back to Kimilili you’ll stop to view The Crying Stone of Shinyalu, which is about 3 km before Kakamega, it’s a 20 meter high granite monolith with a boulder on top which sits in a hollow. When it rains the hollow fills up with rain water and flows over the top which makes the stone look like its crying. There is a local story about a young girl and a young man who were in love with each other. And the girls dad disapproved of their relationship and turned the daughter to stone. The stone symbolises the girl crying.