Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Harriet James @harriet86jim

“In the late 18th century, there was a mighty magician and a paramount chief named Gor.

The man was a mystery and did suchstrange things that he was named Mahia, meaning Strange.

He lived around Ruma National Park,” says Elisha Kombo, a resident of Lambwe valley, Homa Bay county. 

It was impossible to tell whether Gor was a spirit or man based on some of the things he did. For instance, he would go into a house and come out a stranger.

It was from this man that Gor Mahia football team derived its name. Today, herbalists still visit his grave to seek divine help. 

The park, home to the rare roan antelope, is named after another ancestor who used to live here called Ruma.  

The wahenga or wise men say penye miti hapana wajenzi (where there are trees, it is likely there are no builders).

The saying describes my recent trip to Ruma Park, just 30 minutes to my hometown of Rongo. Despite being an ardent traveller, I had never known the region’s rich history, culture and tourist attractions. 

Due to poor road conditions and heavy rains, I had to wait for two days before I could go out for a game drive. Vehicles get stuck in the black cotton soil and we couldn’t risk being in the bush, crying for assistance. 

Ruma is one of the least visited parks. Compared to Haller Park Mombasa or the Masai Mara game reserve, which sometimes gets over 200,000 visitors, it only records 10,000 guests annually.

Rhino population

 The park is scenic and tranquil, with magnificent views of four hills— ­Gwasi, Ruri and Nyakwaya escarpment where the legend Gor once lived. We watched a herd of the Rothschild or Ugandan giraffes swaying gracefully or feeding on acacia. 

There were only 30 when they were restocked, but at present there  are 300 out of the 1,000 in Kenya.

The black and white rhinos were also restocked too. Out of about 1,400 rhinos in the country, 37 roam this park. We watched four of them grazing. 

The arrival of the rhinos resulted in an increase of the number of guards in the park, which also meant that the roan antelope was protected. It also raised the profile of the park. 

Oguch hill is where the roan dwells.In 1969, there were 202 of them, but today only 12 of them remain in Ruma —and in Kenya!

Because of Kenya’s fast growing population over the years, the roan rangeland has been converted to farmlands and settlement areas. 

In addition, humans poach them for game meat and other cultural practices. Their horns are valued music instruments played during festivities. 

I learnt from Elisha that the roan is called Omoro in Dholuo due to its colour, courage and aggressive behaviour. Some Luo families take up the name for posterity of this rare creature. 

“Watu walikuwa wanakula tu omoro kitambo. Walikuwa wanawinda na kamba na ilikuwa chakula yao tu kitambo.

Watu wa game walipokuja ndio waakaanza kuzuia watu kuwinda wanyama,” Elisha explained. 

Historically, Lambwe valley was infested with the tsetsefly. British settlers even forced militant Kalenjins into the valley to die as punishment for their resistance.

It was not until the 1960s that plans to eradicate tsetse infestation began and people started moving into the valley.  

“We work in collaboration with Kenya Wildlife Service and the communities living around the park to eradicate the pest,” says John Mwangi, a senior zoologist working with Kenya Tsetse fly and Tryponosomiasis Eradication Council in Homabay county.   

The pest is a vector for sleeping sickness in people (the last confirmed case of sleeping sickness was in 2009) and nagana in livestock. “It has a big negative impact on wildlife and tourism since wildlife are the primary hosts of the insect,” Mwangi said. 

Ruma has been threatened with extinction five times in its history. In 2014, local  politicians called for its degazettment, saying the animals destroy crops without compensation. 

Tsetse fly menace

Earlier in 1931, there was an unsuccessful attempt to clear bushes and to relocate elephants and other wildlife for human settlement.

Plans to develop Lambwe Valley for agriculture by South Nyanza County Council were scuttled by the late Tom Mboya, who also offered a section of his farm to be part of the reserve. The park was only gazetted in 1983. 

Marking this year’s International Wildlife Day in the park last week, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said it was chosen after consensus by the national and county governments and KWS to hold the event in a less-prominent park.

“Tourism is not only about Masai Mara, Laikipia or Samburu, but also in ‘small’ parks such as Ruma,” he said.

He cautioned residents against retrogressive traditional beliefs, which encourage poaching of the roan.  “Any person caught poaching will face not less than five years imprisonment,” he warned.

Tom Sibul, owner of Ruma River Lodge where I stayed for four days last week, called for aggressive marketing for the park.

“The big parks are tired products and over-exploited. People should visit Ruma as it’s scenic and has the same ecosystem as the Mara,” he said.  

Located 400km from Nairobi by road, the Park is accessible from two gates, the Main Gate (Kamato Gate) and Nyatoto Gate. Entry fee (Sh300 for adults) is by cash only.