24 •
The Lion King
• April - June 2015
Amboseli National Park and Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya
The Mara is also home to all of Africa’s
“Big Five”- the lion, leopard, elephant,
buffalo and rhinoceros. But it is in the
months of June and September that
the Maasai Mara turns into an eye-
popping spectacle. This is the period
when the great wildebeest migration
takes place. Close to 1.3 million wilde-
beests create a one-of-kind melee as
they jostle against each other crossing
over from the Serengeti in Tanzania in
search of food and supplies.
Amboseli
But the fun does not end in Mara. The
dusty plains of Amboseli to the East
which are trodden by the large herds
of elephants are also quite a specta-
cle. Tsavo East and West comprise 10
million acres of pure wilderness, with
a birding pilgrimage, which comprise
species of weavers, sun birds, hornbills,
rollers and raptors.
Kenya is the first African country to
establish an Ecotourism Society, the
first to set up a certification scheme to
evaluate performance of hotels and
lodges based on eco-principles and
among the first countries to lend cre-
dence to the concept of ecotourism
through practice. This means tourists
can be assured that they will enjoy
wildlife in its natural habitat travelling
around Kenya.
People
But Kenya’s beautiful diversity is not
restricted to its flora and fauna; it is
also evident in its people and their cul-
ture. Kenya’s 45 million people can be
grouped into 42 ethnic communities.
The Kikuyu is the largest ethnic com-
munity. Other ‘predominant’ commu-
nities include the Luhyia, Luo, Kalenjin,
and Kamba.
Although, the different communities
speak different vernaculars, Kiswahili
is the melting pot. English together
with Kiswahili comprise the country’s
official languages.
The diverse ethnic groupings means
that Kenya does not have a single uni-
fying culture as the different commu-
nities follow their distinct cultures. But
the Maasai culture has over the time
become Kenya’s quintessential brand
culture to the external world. With their
elaborate upper body adornment
and jewellery as well as their exquisite
rituals, the Maasai has become a dar-
ling of tour magazines.
Jomo Kenyatta
and prominent
Kenyans
Kenya’s history is rich in prominent fig-
ures that have unified the country in
different areas. Kenya’s first president,
Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, is regarded as
the first person to have glued togeth-
er 42 different tribes by promoting
the values of peace, love and unity
that are captured in Kenya’s national
anthem.
Just recently, Kenya’s Lupita Nyong’o
Country Focus
| Kenya
