THE GREAT RIFT VALLEY

The Rift Valley is millions of years old, more than 5,400 miles long and a sight not to be missed! In Kenya, seven lakes are found in this valley: Magadi, Naivasha, Elementeita, Nakuru, Bogoria, Baringo and Turkana. Only Naivasha and Baringo are fresh water lakes, with the other lakes draining through volcanic rock, collecting minerals and alkaline soils.

The rift valley has been forming for some 30 million years, as Africa and the Arabian Peninsula separate, and has produced such massifs as Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya. The Rift Valley has been a rich source of fossils that allow study of human evolution due its eroding highlands a favorable environment for the preservation of remains has been created.

In eastern Africa the valley divides into two, the Western Rift and the Eastern Rift Valley. The system's main branch, the Eastern Rift Valley, is occupied in the north by the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, and the Gulf of Aqaba. It continues south along the Red Sea to several lakes in Kenya.

The Western Rift, also called the Albertine Rift, is edged by some of the highest mountains in Africa, including the Virunga Mountains, Mitumba Mountains, and Ruwenzori Range. It contains the Rift Valley lakes, which include some of the deepest lakes in the world (up to 1,470 meters deep at Lake Tanganyika). Lake Victoria , the second largest area freshwater lake in the world, is considered part of the Rift Valley system although it actually lies between the two branches; it occupies a depression between the eastern and western rifts, formed by the uplift of the rifts to either side. All of the African Great Lakes were formed as the result of the rift and most lie within its rift valley.

The seven lakes of the rift valley

Lake Turkana (formerly known as Lake Rudolf) is a lake in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, with its far northern end crossing into Ethiopia. It is the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake. The water is potable but not palatable. It supports a rich lacustrine wildlife. The climate is hot and very dry.

Three rivers (the Omo, Turkwel and Kerio) flow into the lake, but since it lacks outflow its only water loss is by evaporation. Due to temperature, aridity and geographic inaccessibility, the lake retains its wild character for example crocodiles can be found on the lake shores and this can turn out to be hazardous for unguided tourists.

The Lake Turkana region is home to hundreds of species of birds such as the Greater Flamingo, the Little Stint, the Wood Sandpiper and the Common Sandpiper. In the dry grasslands surrounding the lake you can get an opportunity to see Grevy's zebra, Burchell's Zebra, the Beisa Oryx, Grant's Gazelle and the reticulated giraffe. These grazers are hunted by the lion and the cheetah which are the main predators in the area.

Lake Magadi is the southernmost lake in the Kenyan Rift Valley. During the dry season, it is 80% covered by soda and is well known for its wading birds, including flamingos. It is a saline, alkaline lake, approximately 100 square kilometers in size,its lake water, which is a dense sodium carbonate brine, precipitates vast quantites of the mineral called trona.

Several thousand years ago, the Magadi basin held a freshwater lake with many fish but now only 1 species of fish called Alcolapia grahami can be found in its waters. Lake Magadi is featured in Fernando Meirelles's film The Constant Gardener, although in the film the shots are supposed to be at Lake Turkana.

Lake Nakuru is a small shallow alkaline lake on the southern edge of the town of Nakuru, it lies about 160 kilometers north of Nairobi. It can therefore be visited in a day tour from Nairobi or more likely as part of an excursion for taking in the Maasai Mara or Lake Baringo and east to Samburu.

This rift valley lake is world famous as the location of the greatest bird spectacle on earth, can you imagine watching more than a million pink flamingos gather in one area?I guess seeing is believing.

These birds are attracted to the lake because there is plenty of algae for them to feed and sustain on.

The lake is rich in other bird life, there are over 400 resident species on the lake and in the surrounding park. Sadly, the number of flamingos has been decreasing recently, perhaps due to too much tourism, pollution resulting from industries waterworks that dump waste into the water making it uninhabitable for the birds.

Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake in the Rift Valley, lying north west of Nairobi, outside the town of Naivasha. It is also part of the Great Rift Valley. Its name derives from the local Maasai name Nai'posha, meaning "rough water" because of the sudden storms which can arise.

The lake is home to over 400 species of birds, hippos are also present. Naivasha serves as a weekend resort for residents and is a great place to shop for flowers that are grown around the lake.

Lake Bogoria is a saline, alkaline lake that lies in a volcanic region in a half-graben basin south of Lake Baringo, Kenya, a little north of the equator.

The lake waters originate from inflow from the Sandai and Emsos rivers, and from about 200 alkaline hot springs that are present at three onshore sites: Loburu, Chemurkeu, and a southern group (Ng'wasis, Koibobei, Losaramat).

Lake Bogoria also contains the highest concentration of true geysers in Africa.

Lake Baringo is, after Lake Turkana, the most northern of the Great Rift Valley lakes of Kenya.

The lake is fed by two rivers, El Molo and Ol Arabel, and has no obvious outlet. Not many tourists visit this lake perhaps because the water levels have been reduced greatly by drought and farming irrigation.

Like the other lakes, this one also has several migrating flamingoes and you can get an opportunity to see them during one of the camp's tour excursions.

It is situated on an extensive, dry semi arid belt of the Rift Valley.

Lake Elementaita extends from Mbaruk to the North and Kedong valley in the South with annual mean temperatures ranging between 19.5C and 19.8C.

The unique feature of this lake is that it is the only breeding ground for the great white pelican in Kenya and tourists can get a chance to see this rare species of bird.

In conclusion I recommend the rift valley as a must-see feature in Kenya because:-

1. The rift valley is one of nature's greatest features that stretches all the way from North Syria to Mozambique, it is 6000 kilometers in length, between 30 and 100 kilometers in width and a few hundred to several thousand meters in depth.

2. Over millions of years, it has developed eight volcanic mountain formations, the world's largest, oldest and deepest fresh water lakes and wildlife attractions that make it one of Africa's best tourist attractions.

3. Accommodation facilities in the rift valley , tour guides and fun activities are readily available for tourists. So if you consider taking a Kenyan safari then you have to see the rift valley for yourself and get a first-hand experience its natural beauty.