Marsabit National Park is pretty spectacular. We had been told on arrival in Marsabit that it was pretty dry and that there weren’t too many animals around – but now, sitting on a deck overlooking a “lake” I begin to understand just how dry. There is no water in sight. The pan is framed by thick, natural bush and it is absolutely gorgeous.
Our guide, Duba, took us up to Lake Paradise – a world-renowned lake that has been heavily documented since the 1940’s. Animals amass to drink at the beautiful crater lake. Not so. Duba has been working at Marsabit as a guide for the last 35 years and has never seen it dry before. It is a sad moment. The lake is a dry crust with no animal in sight. It is a deep concern for the future of the park and a town that is dependent on its tourism. 38 000 people live in Marsabit – a town circled by desert. There is a massive water shortage and Duba explained that the desert was growing inwards and farmers were struggling. Everyone in Marsabit relies on food stamps and NGO support – it is a devastating tale. The animals? Duba thinks that they move further afield, down south to where they can find water. The only animals we saw there were an elephant and a buffalo with their calves… They cannot go too far with their young.
Duba puts all this down to changing weather patterns, hotter weather and less rains. There was a poignant moment captured on camera where he asked the questions did scientists know why the weather was changing, and were they doing something? Looking over the physical effects of climate change was a sobering moment, and it struck me that the livelihoods of those who are the least to blame are the most at risk. These wonderful men who cannot understand why someone would need more than one TV in a house will suffer at the result of our lives of excess. No-one is teaching them water conservation techniques, or why this is happening. To explain our lives of excess to someone who has so little, and then to explain that this excess in my life was the reason for the devastation of theirs… it made the environmental crisis very real.
It was a magical experience to be in the thick bush again, to drive through the forest in an open-topped landcruiser and talk of love and religion… but I was deeply moved by Duba’s questions and gazing out at an empty lake. Something needs to change. And fast.
19 March
Duba’s son, Jamal, was on the case to organise us a truck to Mount Kenya. Niall and Grant decided to camp the night at Marsabit, but Ol and I were keen to get to Mount Kenya and attempt some of the climb… We gave Jamal our cash – against our better judgement – and woke this morning with no Jamal in sight. We had a few painful moments and a nervous breakfast, as we went through our conversations trying to work out the flaws in his story. Jamal eventually turned up. It turned out that the truck was leaving a little later and he wanted to give us an extra hour to sleep! This trip is making me more suspiscious of people. Jamal is truly and genuine and great guy, and I am sorry that I doubted that…
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