The Shape Shifting Ondiri Swamp in Kenya
Ondiri Swamp is the second deepest wetland in Africa after Doula in Cameroon. There have been stories of people sinking in the swamp and their bones found in Nakuru, Mombasa or Naivasha
Skeeter Imisa
Ondiri Swamp also known as Ondiri Wetland is considered a wonder of nature due to its shape-shifting ability. It is found in Kiambu County in Kenya.
Every step you take around the area gives the sensation of sinking. You might think that you will end up at the bottom yet no one sinks.
The swamp is surrounded by myths and mysteries. There have been stories of people sinking in the swamp and their bones found in Nakuru, Mombasa, or Naivasha. As much as the stories sound hilarious they might be true.
Waters in Ondiri Swamp are sources of water for many rivers such as the Nyongara River that flows into the Nairobi River which lies on the same water bed as Lake Nakuru. They water the swamp from below the ground rather than feeder rivers. This explains the possibility of the human bodies that sink in the swamp being washed away.
Ondiri swamp is thought to have been an open lake. The Europeans named it Old Lake and the locals unable to pronounce corrupted it to Ondiri.
The water is said to have healing powers and hence attracting pilgrimages from traditional religious groups who come to bathe in the waters as they pray.
Ondiri Swamp sits on a 30-hectare of land and is estimated to be 7-10 feet deep. Due to human encroachment, there is accelerated soil erosion and siltation.
In the 1990s, there were efforts to conserve the wetland though unsuccessful. Currently, the Water Resource Management Authority (WARMA) has restricted any form of farming activity in the riparian.
Another group calling itself Friends of Ondiri has also teamed up to restore the old beauty of the Ondiri swamp, though there is still water harvesting happening. It is estimated that there are around more than 40 unmetered water pumps drawing water from the swamp.
Ondiri Swamp is the second deepest wetland in Africa after Doula in Cameroon however it is yet to get national recognition. Since it has not been listed as a tourist destination, the area is open to visitors and there are no amenities such as car parks reserved for people visiting the swamp. People park by the roadside and then descend on foot to the swamp.
Where the waters join Kikuyu springs and then the Nairobi River, there is a makeshift bridge made by the locals that are very dangerous to cross in the rainy season.
So during your free time pay a visit to this wonder of nature. It is about one kilometer from Kikuyu town and a 25-minute drive from Nairobi.
Slightly past the entrance of Alliance Boys’ High School as you come from Karen on Kikuyu Road, turn left on a dirt road that goes on the new Kikuyu bypass.
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