Lake Baringo
A freshwater lake in the far north of the Rift Valley
Lake Baringo is located in Baringo County, about 285 km northwest of the city of Nairobi on the eastern part of the East African Rift and, like Lake Naivasha, is a freshwater lake. All other lakes there are highly alkaline.
The name originally comes from the term Mparingo and simply means lake in the language of the unified people.
The Baringo area gained international fame in 2000 when a team of scientists discovered traces of what may have been the oldest human ancestor, Orrorin tugenensis, who lived an estimated six million years ago in the Tugen Hills!
Several world-class Kenyan runners come from the area. The small village of Mukutani was the setting for the film “Nowhere in Africa”.
Lake Baringo has high evaporation rates and low rainfall, but this deficit is offset by inflow from water-rich hills in the 6820 sq km catchment area. The freshwater fish in this body of water serve as food for many birds. The endemic cichlid species oreochromis niloticus baringoensis receives particular attention among experts.
The lake is home to an extraordinary variety of water birds.
Type
Freshwater lake
Bird species
over 470
From Nairobi
approx. 285 km
An El Dorado for ornithologists
When to travel?
Baringo can be visited year-round and is especially popular with birdwatchers. The dry seasons from June to October and December to February offer pleasant conditions for boat trips.
The climate is hot and dry. After rains the water level rises and the shoreline vegetation flourishes — a particularly active time for birdlife.
