Kakamega Forest

October 20, 2009 by admin

Western Kenya borders Rift Valley and Nyanza with Kakamega town being the provincial headquaters of the region which is home to the abaluyia community.

In Shinyalu Division of Kakamega District, is a world famous equatorial rainforest known for its diversity of bird and insect life. Its uniqueness has made consevation its top priority. Step into the Kakamega forest and you definetly get the feeling that you are in an African Amazon.

This rainforest the only on of its kind in Kenya covers an area of 240 square kilometers and has more than 380 different types of plants and 400 species of butterfly, many of which can only be found here.

The climate is very wet, with an average of over 2m of rain per year. The “Long Rains” are April through May, with the “Short Rains” occurring in August and September. The driest months of the year are January and February. The temperature ranges from a minimum of about 11°C and maximum of about 26°C throughout the year.

The indigenous Mysopsis Eminee, locally known as Mama Mutere, has a multitude of medicinal qualities that are believed to help cure ailments such as cancer and stomach aches. The timber is very valuable and consequently, this tree has become an endangered species over the years.

Kakamega forest has primate reserve with different species of monkeys, families of blue and Columbus monkeys can be seen leaping through canopies.

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