Page 20 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 31

Community
The village itself was quiet, with a mix of
mud houses, stone homes, a primary school,
and small vegetable kiosks. I also noticed
bikes (boda-boda) carrying passengers along
the narrow paths leading to the main tarmac
road I had started from. The air was fresh
and clean and I could hear the roar of the
Indian Ocean crashing into the shore from
the distance.
Despite the lack of trees, the charm of the
village made the walk worthwhile. After a
few twists and turns, I found myself on a
ridge overlooking what I initially thought
was a forest. To my surprise, the trees were
actually across a vast gorge where mining
activity seemed to have taken place. From
this vantage point, I spotted a beautiful river
flowing far below—a breathtaking sight that
compelled me to explore further.
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Lama ferrying a
father and a child
across The Athi-
Galana-Sabaki River.
Photo: Samuel Phillips
The Majestic Athi-Galana-Sabaki River
Upon reaching the riverbank, I learned that
this was the Athi-Galana-Sabaki River, one
of Kenya’s longest rivers. This stretch of the
river is close to the mouth where its waters
meet the oceans and so – expectedly – the
flow of its waters were remarkably slower
and the bed of the river loaded with fertile
soils from further upstream. While the river
didn’t seem particularly deep, it was an
enchanting view nonetheless. The tranquility
of the flowing water, coupled with the
presence of a few bikes (boda-boda) parked
on the riverbank waiting for passengers
crossing from the other side, added to the
serene atmosphere. I watched a cow come
to drink from the waters, and the herder had
to chase it out of the river because the cow
wanted to continue walking towards the other
shore.