Laikipia County, The Silent Melting Point of Kenya

In the recent past, Laikipia County has hit the headlines all for negative reasons. The news has since traveled far and wide.

From the attack on the ranches to the alleged shooting down of more than 300 cows by security officers, Laikipia has other hidden treasures that people don’t know.

Laikipia County has one of the most amazing natural terrains in Kenya.  With roads winding up and down the hills, green shrubs here and there, cattle mingling with wildlife, it all that an eye can see and feed on.

In January this year, The New York Times published a list of 52 must-visit destinations in the world. Featuring in this list was Laikipia and the concern was more on its Borana Conservancy and Arijiju.

Passing across Laikipia, one will not fail to realize that the county is richly endowed with wildlife, which is widely distributed in the semi-arid lands extending to Aberdares, Samburu, Meru and Mt. Kenya wildlife corridors and ecosystems.

According to the information from the County Government Website, Laikipia County has the greatest number of wildlife outside of the gazetted protected areas in the country.

Most of the wildlife is found in the large-scale ranchers, which occupy over 50 percent of the total area of the county. The rest is found in the unsettled smallholdings, group ranches owned by the pastoral Laikipia Maasai and also in the gazetted forests of Mukogodo, Rumuruti, and Marmanet.

The major wildlife species are the Lion, Giraffe, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo and the Rhinocerus though other smaller wildlife species are also abundant particularly the African Wild Dog, Zebras, Grevy Zebras, and gazelles.

Key attractions in the county include: Yaaku museum, Proximity to Mt Kenya Game Park, Beautiful Mt. Kenya peaks’ view, Unique Maasai culture, Eco-tourism and Conservancies, Thomson falls in Nyahururu, Panorama view points at Kamwenje, Expansive savanna landscape, Game lodge and Restaurants, Hotels and camping sites, Elephant corridors from Mt. Kenya to Marmanet forest for breeding and reproduction, Equator crossing points at Nanyuki, Oljogi conservancy (wildlife orphanage, rescue Centre and tamed elephants), Kurikuri cultural museum, rhino sanctuaries, art galleries, settlers stores, Historical sites such as Mau Mau caves in Mukogodo forest and Forests that are rich in diversity of flora and fauna. There are also the unique cultural lifestyles among the Laikipian Maasai and the Pokot.

Most of the tourists are hosted in conservancy lodges. The county has four international standard classified hotels i.e. Sweet Waters Tented Camp at Ol Pejeta, Sportsman Arms Hotel at Nanyuki, Thompson Falls Lodge at Nyahururu and Illingwesi Lodge at Illingwesi Community Ranch. The county has 43 active tourism facilities and 1230 beds.

The county receives over 86,000 visitors (tourists) annually and generates annual gross revenue of over 1.5 billion shillings. With ongoing local and international branding and marketing initiatives the number of visitors is projected to increase by a minimum of 14 percent annually in the next three years.

On average the gross annual revenue per available bed in a lodge generates about kshs 1,716,500, kshs 1,544,800 in a resort and kshs.739, 300 in a community lodge.
On average facilities operating in the low occupancy, band generates about kshs 400,800 gross annual revenue per available bed, those in the middle occupancy band generates kshs 819,000 and those in the high occupancy band 2,519,000 shillings.The average length of stay at any single facility in Laikipia is one week.

Laikipia county plateau has been suggested by New Yorks Times as one of the six favorite tourist destinations in Africa. Ranked 19 among the 52 destinations that made it to the final list globally (New York Times, 28th January 2014).

This weekend, more than 100 drivers are set to showcase their driving skills as they take part in the maiden fun motor race that is set to take place on Saturday.

The drivers are set to drive and cycle through the amazing Laikipian villages, hills, valleys, and plains in a challenge expected to cover 180 kilometers.

The aim of the event is to promote peace and unity and to boost tourism in the county through sports.