Salt lakes that share pre-historic wealth

BY BEATRICE OBWOCHA

Lakes Nakuru, Bogoria and Elementaita are the most important salt water lakes in the country for their environmental and historic richness.

The lakes are not only salty, but are also home to about 75 per cent of the world’s population of flamingos. The area surrounding them is home to hundreds of bird species and have all been declared Ramsar sites.

Wetlands

Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance.

The campaign to have the three lakes declared World Heritage Sites was informed by their having cultural and natural significance.

World Heritage Sites are places of cultural, historical and natural significance and sites that have the status benefit from United Nations conservation funds and increased tourism.

The most significant cultural background of the three lakes is their proximity to pre-historic sites that have yielded important fossils of human history.

Lake Nakuru is located next to the Hyrax Hill pre-historic site, one of Kenya’s important archaeological sites after the discovery by Louis and Mary Leakey in the 1920s of settlements, tombs and tools dating back to 1,500 BC.

Lake Elementaita is next to the Kariandusi pre-historic site where ancient tools used more than a million years ago were discovered.

Lake Bogoria National Park was once home to the Endorois community before they migrated.

Already Kenya has four sites listed as World Heritage Sites. They are Lamu Old Town, the Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forest, Lake Turkana National Park and Mount Kenya National Park.