GREEN CHERANGANY - A rain fed green country!

 

NO ONE CAN SAVE US BUT OURSELVES. NO ONE CAN AND NO ONE WILL. WE MUST WALK THE PATH OURSELVES. Buddha

The rainy season has been erratic. I keep reminding myself that we are a rain fed economy. This is not a very healthy trait for the prosperity of a nation.

In spite of the poor rains so far, the Cherangany Hills are lush and green.

It's almost 12noon but several parts of the landscape are covered in rolling mist.

The recently planted maize crop has sprouted in every farm. Some crop taller than others.

Crested cranes fly past in 3s or 4s. Coming to think of it; these birds are rarely solitary. This bird is the national symbol on the Uganda Flag. It’s a beautiful bird which flies gracefully.

The Cherangany Hills are to the East of Kitale town and are a vital part of the granary of Kenya. The bulk of the staple maize comes from this region of the country - and this explains why rain is so very critical for Kenya - and in particular here.  

Today we have all the time in the world. Our journey back to Nairobi is via Eldoret and our flight is later at 6pm. So when our driver (pilot - as I prefer to call him!) notices the time in hand - he suggests we pass through Cherangany to Edoret. We readily agree. This is a first for all of us. And why lie -- I have travel lust (proudly so!)

The traffic is light. There are pleasantly few vehicles or matatus or boda bodas on the roads - this serenity is rare in our country!

There are hardly any towns along the road apart from small rural shopping centres with one or two dukas. The scenery is dominated by the green maize farms interrupted by beautiful umbrella Acacia trees......before human settlement here this must have been part of the Garden of Eden!

Most people are busy with some farm related activities. There are hardly any idle people. That’s a good sign - I like it! We must all work hard in life. And it is our cumulative hard work that will develop and lift up the nation from being a poor nation to a more prosperous one. Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore are all examples of what hard work can do to a nation. So why not us!

A Tawny Eagle screeches in the sky. A reminder to me that in spite of the coldish weather we are right on the Equator and predatory birds such as Eagles and Buzzards thrive here as they do in the drier semi-arid and arid parts of Kenya.

A pleasant surprise then catches my eye. 

A Fiscal Shrike perched on the electric cables! I haven't seen one for sometime now - my last sighting was when we rode thro Nairobi National Park a few years ago.

My mind rushes to many decades ago when we used to stay at KSTC.

The Fiscal Shrike was the dominant bird in the campus. Its a very territorial bird that hops from shrub to shrub - and aggressively fights off even larger birds away from its territories.

Of course there were Superb Starlings, Tawny Eagles, African Black Kites, an occasional Augur Buzzard, the Pied Crows, Glossy Starlings and Ground Shrikes as well.

Its a constant reminder that Dad and Mum did a good job of us - from a very young age we were all avid readers and some kind of amatuer ornithologists, astronomers, anthropologists, naturalists and one or two of us are expert palmists. …….. Don’t ask me who and who and who. Yes and all of us are good mathematicians ….. Some far better than others!

Back to Cherangany; a client/acquaintance of mine whom I shall refer to as BK had a farm here - I don’t know where. I would have loved to see it. Its many years since both him and his wife have died and so there is no way I will know. I remember we designed a house for him and he got an international company to construct it. I remember the Jewish site agent saying that there is a big hill on the site and it is getting in the way of the house --- 'shall we get rid of the hill?'

Of course I would have none of this - the house must fit within the environment. The site agent wasn’t happy because he just lost a major chunk of works in that simple but important decision. I never visited the site before or after the construction as it was being handled by my employer - but it was a special design. BK was wealthy and he could afford it - so why not!

As we rode along the winding road to Eldoret the farms become smaller and now more interspersed with slightly larger shopping centres - an indication that we are getting closer to the City.

I cant help but noticing the air is sharp, clear and fresh. Its cold too. Remember Eldoret is on a highland plateau and was a sought after area for settlement by the colonialists and later by a prominent Jewish community who have since then dwindled in numbers (not that I have any data). The synagogue in Eldoret remains as a symbol of their erstwhile presence not too long ago.

Our pilot points out the synagogue to to us and remarks that this is a not an ordinary place and I quickly correct him and tell him its a church for Jews. I don't think my explanation changed his views about what goes in there..... not that it matters because the building does look disused.

We have to fly back to Nairobi by the early morning flight. The sunrise and the orangish clouds dominate the aeroplanes climb to its cruising altitude of 22000ft.

 

I will be back - there is lots to see, learn and appreciate. Eldoret has a history and geography too.........I'll reserve this for another day.