Namanga Hills Day Hike

Also known as Ol Donyo Orok, the hike is a 6 to 7 hour moderate level hike covering approximately 10 km at the southern edges of Namanga Hills. The hiking route covers dry woodland forest, rocky hills, humid forests and riverine vegetation. Over the course of the hike, spectacular views of the surrounding regions can be seen in good weather, including glimpses of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru

It takes 3-3.5 hours to get to Namanga and the roads are very smooth with good views throughout the journey. Our departure time will be 5:30am and expecting to arrive at the starting point by 9am, latest 9:20am to allow for any issues along the road.

Once at the starting point, we’ll take a short washroom break and get briefed by the guides. The hike should start by about 9:40am

We’ll be using Mombasa road up to the Athi River round about after which we head south using the A104 road.

1. Hiking level – moderate, needs prior hill hiking experience or reasonable level of fitness and stamina

2. Main attractions – hill, views, rock formations, clear stream, emerald forests, being close to Tanzania

3. Type of hike – hill hike through dry woodland forest followed by river visit

4. Atmospheric conditions – Some cloud cover, dry air, low chance of wind or rain, dusty environment

5. Slipping hazard – low level as most of the ground is firm but loose stones and soil is common

6. Steepness – most sections are low to medium level of steepness

7. Hiking path condition – unused paths can be overgrown with dry vegetation. Additionally, thorny trees are numerous and possibility of being scratched is high. Bending and crawling through paths is common

8. Water usage – high due to the dry air and long hike

9. Route visibility – mostly visible but need to keep together to avoid misdirection

10. Biodiversity – numerous species of flowering plants, insects, birds and possibly wildlife such as baboons

Views along the way as we cruise along A104 road

The hike starts at the very foot of the hills and soon we’ll be seeing several twists and turns throughout the hike over dry and rocky terrain

The viewpoint has fantastic rock formations and is a great point to relax and catch our breath

The first leg of the hike can take 1 hour and by the end of it, we’ll be at the top of one of the smaller hills with views of Namanga town below

The second leg continues westward from the viewpoint and down across sloping valleys to the green forest where we plan to see the river there. This route passes through emerald moss-covered forests and is a sight for weary city eyes. It can take about 2 hours to get to the river since the trails are not well travelled and vegetation has grown in many places

The river is really a small fast flowing stream which is almost clear. Rocks with fantastic hues can be seen at the river site and butterflies flit about all over. After relaxing at the river, it’s a trek onwards down the slopes to a point away from the starting point

Possible sights we could see are several bird species, views of the distant mountains, numerous butterfly species, flowers and differing types of vegetation.

Mount Kilimanjaro seen during the descent

• Good hiking boots – these are really needed due to the small stones, rocky terrain, loose soil, thorns and insects
• Trousers and long sleeve shirts – due to the dense thickets and thorns, there are high possibilities of being scratched
• Sun hat – to protect against the sun and overhead branches
• Water – at least 2 litres
• Lunch – the hike is long and we recommend you to carry lunch – this can be had at the river

Review by Hellen Kiama

It was a wonderful journey to Namanga on 12th March 2022. We reached at around 9am and started stretches for the hike and then kicked off the 11km hike. Walking below the scorching sun was not easy but we managed with breaks from time to time. At the peak we had our lunch break looking over the breath-taking views and a photo session with the Tanzanian border behind us. Going down the hill is an experience I’ll never forget having almost slid on a slippery part…we had to go down on our ? and comply with gravity or else find ourselves at the bottom of the slope. Then we got to a stream where we refreshed and drunk the natural water finally reaching the main road at 7pm ,got in the bus and drove back to Nairobi. Not beginner friendly but as a beginner it was a wonderful experience that is good to have once in my life.