Lake Baringo

In a rugged and dry landscape, which cannot deny its border position with the desert-like northern part of Kenya, lies the second freshwater lake in Kenya’s Rift Valley: Lake Baringo. Its dramatic backdrop consists of the stepped, fractured foot hills of the eastern Rift wall, and to the west, the Tugen Hills, a gigantic escarpment that tilted westward and then rose up as the Rift subsided. The colors of Lake Baringo change almost hourly, presenting a new mood each time. The color palette of its waters includes not only red, yellow, and brown but also purple, which would likely have satisfied any expressionist painter. The reason why this lake, located at 970 meters above sea level, contains freshwater remains unclear. Like Lake Naivasha, it has no visible outlet and should have long since become saline due to the continuous input of minerals. Scottish geologist John Walter Gregory undertook an expedition to the Lake Bogoria and Lake Baringo region in 1893 to prove his theory that the East African Rift is a crack caused by the separation of rock plates, which was later confirmed. He also suspected that the lake has an underground outlet. To this day, scientists have not proven this. It is possible that the hot springs which emerge 50 kilometers north at the Silali Volcano are seepage water from Lake Baringo.

The first European to view Lake Baringo from the Laikipia Escarpment was Joseph Thomson in 1883. In 1887, the expedition of Count Teleki and Lieutenant von Höhnel also stopped here on their way to Lake Turkana. The ethnic group living around the lake at that time is called the Njemps or Il Chamus and is of Nilotic-Cushitic origin. Despite their close relationship with the cattle-keeping Maasai, the Njemps traditionally practice agriculture and fishing. The modern irrigation system at the southern end of the lake is based on an efficient canal system, which the ancestors of the Njemps used to farm the rich alluvial soils. Because there were no suitable trees in the dry climate around the lake, the agile fishing boats, called Lkadich, were constructed by binding branches of the Ambatch tree together, similar to an ancient Egyptian papyrus boat. After drying, the material becomes light like balsa wood. However, the art of building Lkadich boats is increasingly dying out, and today, fiberglass boats are mostly used. Lake Baringo has various edible fish, including Tilapia species, catfish, and barbel.

On the other hand, the abundance of fish supports a large number of crocodiles and birds. The lake and the surrounding cliffs are home to over 450 bird species, including the endemic Hemprich’s hornbill, making it one of the best bird-watching areas in Kenya, attracting ornithologists from around the world. The so-called Gibraltar Island hosts the largest colony of Goliath herons in East Africa. Hippos are also quite common in the lake and often come ashore at many places during the night.

Island Camp Lake Baringo Club

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