Having spent most of his adult life and eventually passed away in Kenya, he left a legacy of a man who disliked women, after his fiancé allegedly refused to live in a castle he built for her in Ngata area- a few kilometres from Nakuru town.

He died a bachelor bringing an end to the Egerton dynasty.

Lord Maurice Egerton

The Lord Egerton Castle’s caretaker Robert Onyiego says he worked at the castle as a cook and affirms that indeed Lord Egerton did not like women and banned them from the castle.

He says they even asked their wives to lock themselves in their houses when the Lord was visiting their farms.

But after posting the story of how the castle, whose owner died lonely and single, is now being used as a wedding ground, where eternal love vows are exchanged, I got interesting comments.

Some of the comments, shared below are by people who claim to have known, heard or read about Lord Egerton.

Some claim Lord Egerton was not a woman hater as claimed-that he hosted women at his castle in England.

I share the comments, not because I dispute the story of Lord Egerton’s dislike for women, but to shed light his  ‘other side’.

PAUL DOHERTY

I work at Tatton Park in Cheshire, Knutsford, England-Lord Egerton’s estate.

I have been gathering as much information about the Egerton family as I can and I came across information about the castle in Kenya some time ago and most of it was very positive and sounds very good and interesting.

Then I started to come across this information about Maurice being a woman hater, I found this very hard to believe.

I spend time in the mansion and I feel it was well lived in and many happy times were shared there on the estate.

I also read the info board in the Maurice Egerton exhibition room. I come across lots of letters from people who spent time there as kids, teenagers, the letters recall all sorts of good things.

I am not a guide on the estate but I walk around the outer estate looking and learning from things I see and I also have the estate survey that goes back to the 1600s. It shows the estate from the beginning up to the present day,

Getting to the point about the Ngata castle in Kenya. I am very sad that when we start to look at the Kenya estate that this woman hater man seems to come forward, its already been stated Maurice was 80 yrs old when this girlfriend hating thing came about.

At the Exhibition room with Lord Egerton Castle guide Robert Onyiego

I see this as very offensive to the Egerton family and there estates, and to people like myself who work to keep this legacy of the Egerton family going for future generations.

Maurice did many things here and in Kenya and in Canada (on his other estate), remember he set up farms, schools and all sorts of social activities for all ,men women and children.

Because his lady friend decided Kenya was not for her should not mean Maurice turned into this woman hating man, like all of us when relationships go wrong.

K HUMPHRIES

I have been researching Lord Egerton for 17 years and was Mansion and Old Hall Manager at Tatton Park for five years.

Quite frankly, most of the materials written and told about Maurice, fourth Baron Egerton is unsubstantiated. I know people who knew him during his lifetime and he was most certainly not a woman-hater.

Why would he ban all women from his property in Kenya, whilst inviting many women and their families to his Cheshire home?

TEEHEY

I have read your comments and agree that Lord Egerton could not have hated women. My grandmother, her daughter, two sons and two daughters in laws were actually guests of Lord Egerton at Tatton Park in, I would guess the early 50′s.

The reason for this invite was, my Uncle was evacuated to Tatton Park during WWII, he lived there for some time.

He was educated privately at Lord Egerton’s expense, at Newborough Primary School, Coxwold Yorkshire, by Lord Egerton, he was taken on a holiday to Kenya, where my grandmother wrote to her son Robert and said ‘ don’t forget to clean your teeth and be a good boy for his Lordship’.

Whilst Robert was staying with Lord Egerton, he wrote to my grandmother and asked to adopt Robert, she naturally refused, how could a mother give up her child. After the war was over he kept in touch with my grandmother, frequently sending her ‘hams’. This certainly doesn’t sound like a man who hated women. I believe that he was a very kind man according to my elderly aunt of 91.

Front view of Lord Egerton Castle

My 91 yr old aunt also stated that she was offered a job, secretarial I think, at Tatton by Lord Egerton, but he instructed her there would be no ‘Sticky fingers or Lips’ meaning she could not wear lipstick or Nail polish, she declined his offer.

I thought that this information might be of interest to you, how Lord Egerton was very kind to my widowed Grandmother.

SALLY BRISTOW

My father ran the Knutsford Boys Club for Lord Egerton or “Lordy” as my brother and I called him, in the 1950s and my family often visited him at Tatton Hall. He was not the woman hater that he was made out to be and though probably a lonely man was not sad or angry and I have very fond memories of him

NOTE: The comments have been edited

Tourists buying curios in Nakuru

At this time of the year, tens of trucks and vans ferrying tourists either to or from Lake Nakuru National Park, Lake Bogoria or Lake Baringo stop at this section of Nakuru town for the visitors to buy wares.
The season coincides with the Wildebeest Migration at the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Tourists visit these sides of Rift Valley after seeing millions of wildebeest cross the Mara River in what is now called the Seventh Wonder of the World.

This is the ‘Maasai market’ of Nakuru, where all year round tourists stop to purchase curios. It’s located at the Central Business District of Nakuru town-opposite Merica Hotel building.
Looking down, I see vendors busy wiping dust and arranging their wares while others sell to tourists.

Curios displayed along Kenyatta Avenue in Nakuru

There are about 100 wooden ‘tables’ where curios are displayed hence one is spoilt for choice.
One can get carvings made from wood and soapstone of nearly all wildlife in Kenya, shields,gourds, baskets populary known as Kiondo, rungus, Maasai shukas, leso, assorted beaded jewellery ranging from necklaces, earrings and bangles.

My advise to tourists is to bargain because the price given for an item is the starting price and one should bargain to the amount you feel is fair.

I also spot a few locals too purchasing, women mostly at the jewellery section, I guess they are the ones who keep the curio vendors busy during low season.

The Nakuru’s ‘Maasai Market’ is open everyday from 7am to 6.30pm.

For those who cannot afford the trip here, movie makers have taken the trouble to bring the Kenyan experience to their living room.

Some of the Peking Express crew at Midlands Hotel in Nakuru

Kenya has featured in famous movies such as The Tomb Raider II, Out of Africa, and White Maasai. And the country will soon feature in a popular Reality TV show aired in France, Peking Express.

Besides featuring tourist destinations such as national parks and mountains, Kenya’s rich culture will also be showcased.

The Peking Express is France best-known adventure race and attracts between three to four million viewers on M6 TV.

The show is also aired by TV 5 outside France and is hosted by the country’s most popular TV personality Stephane Rotenberg.

Different narratives The show director, Mr Gilles Coudert said they shot scenes of season seven from Lake Victoria, Iten training camp for athletes, Lake Nakuru National Park, Maasai Mara, Nairobi, and Voi.

The crew was in Nakuru in the second week of January. The production team literally took over a whole wing at Midlands Hotel, which they converted into a studio. Nakuru was one of the stop points of the race.

Nakuru

A crew from Studio 89 Production put up its shop in Nakuru and a local film company, Cinematic, assisted in shooting the show. Coudert, however, remained guarded on the show’s participants and we were not allowed to take their photographs.

Peking Express Director Gill Coudert at Midlands Hotel in Nakuru

He said that would contravene the code of silence of the contract signed between the production company and the racers. We were only allowed to take pictures at the mobile studio.

After the shooting, editing will follow before the programme that would have 12 episodes of two hours each is aired.

The show involves ten competing teams each comprising two related people either friends, married, siblings or divorced partners. They compete in each leg of the race and the winning duo takes home Sh10 million (£100,000).

The show demonstrates how various couples deal with challenges and pitfalls of a long-distance hitchhike in a strange city. They face difficulties in trying to communicate in foreign languages.

They also take part in cultural activities in areas they visit before continuing with the race. Those who come in last at various checkpoints along the way are eliminated from the competition. Nakuru was one of the elimination points and the last to arrive was eliminated and had to book an early flight to France.

Coudert said they work with a team of about 120 people and use 18 to 20 cameras for the shooting. The teams visit different countries and the distance covered is between 5,000 and 10,000.

The expensive show uses about 25 vehicles, with the crew being accommodated in hotels and sometimes pay locals when they have to use local facilities. Coudert said it takes between 45 and 60 days to shoot the whole race and they have to use local film agents in each country.

Season Seven will feature participants racing from Cairo in Egypt to Cape Town in South Africa.

The director said prior to shooting, a team visits the site to map out the route to be used by the participants.

Peking Express director Mr Gill Coudert with the writer

The race takes close to one year to prepare as they also involve local film companies from the countries they pass through.

He said initially they had shot season one to six in Europe, Asia, India and North America. At first, he said they were not sure about Africa but decided to venture.

They had concerns of security and infrastructure because they always start from a big city and finish the race in a big city. Coudert had kind words about Kenya and the locals whom he describes as friendly.

This is what he had to say about Kenya: “Kenya is a beautiful country and am sure the French will see this in the programme and want to visit here,” he said.

I smiled as I remembered that trip, my first out of Berlin with friends from Pakistan, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Early that Saturday morning we boarded a train to the bus stop to begin our six-hour journey to Prague.

The road led us outside Berlin to the beautiful countryside occasionally passing farm towns.

A view of Prague City

The border of Prague and Germany is not manned but occasionally, immigration police officer stop buses to check whether travelers have proper travel documents.

Along the way, we were stopped by police officers who checked our passports. With a Schengen Visa, one can visit more than five countries within the EU.

While looking at my passport one of the officers asked me whether I am from Kenya. I nodded my head and added, “Obama country huh? Good man President Obama” he said, I smiled and said yes. They finished the checks and we continued with our journey.

Prague

We arrived in Prague in the afternoon and soon found out that despite the fact that they are in EU, they do not use the Euro so we had to change the currency to Koruna (Czech Crown).

Armed with a map, we took a train to a hotel where we were to spend the night and on arrival, we freshened up and set out to explore the city despite the light showers.

Our first stop was the Prague Castle that is ranked by Guinness Books of World Records as the world’s largest ancient castles.

Prague Castle

We learnt that the Kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices here

Our first stop in the expansive castle was inside the St George Basillica then the far end that offered a panoramic view of Prague or Praha to locals.

The allure of its beautiful gardens was irresistible, so were the mini monuments inside that saw us walk for three hours before we took a rest at one of the many stairs.

After another hour tour within the castle we witnessed the change of guard where guards who stand at various gates change shift every hour.

We left the castle and took a train back Prague and walked to the infamous Charles Bridge.

Charles Bridge is famous not only due to history but it has featured in several movies.

The bridge was crowded as tens of tourists crossed the 10-metre wide bridge though part of it was under construction.

A section of Prague Castle

A section of Charles Bridge

The Charles Bridge crosses the Vltava River. Its construction started in 1357 during the era of King Charles IV.

Statues, most of saints, decorate the bridge that is 516 meters wide.

Orloj

From the bridge we walked to the Old Town Square where the infamous astrological clock is located.

The clock, also known as the Orloj that was made in 1410 is located on one wall in the Old Town square.

It is composed of the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky.

Astronomical Clock (Orloj)

It also has The Walk of the Apostles where a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months.

Soon it was dark and Prague at night is quiet and a walk along the narrow paths leads one to different restaurants where people, mainly tourists enjoy evening meals and drinks.

It was time to go back to the hotel, trains were operating but nothing beat a long walk back.

The awesome phenomenon of more than 16 hot water springs boiling from the ground and slowly flowing into the lake is a wonder to behold.

But in one of my visits to the lake in October 2010, the beauty of hot the hot springs and geysers had been submerged.

There were main four geysers and hot springs that were an attraction but the lake’s water levels had risen covering them.

One of the geyser that was submerged

A picture of a geyser before it was submerged following heavy rains in October 2010

From the shoreline, one could see what were initially warning sign boards partially submerged.

Near the signboard there is a geyser whose boiling water was cooled by the lake waters cools such that flamingos swam close by.

Bubbles

The two hot springs that used to spew water a few metres into the sky were reduced to boiling bubbles visible from the shore.

Evidence of the geysers was a warm breeze from the lake and the water at the shoreline was quite hot in one of the sections where the geyser is near the shoreline.

But one could not be mistaken that the geysers were not emitting hot water.

Carcasses of flamingos floating near the hot springs were evidence that they may have landed on boiling water

However there was one hot spring about half a kilometre from the main ones that was not submerged. It was crowded at the time as visitors tried to get some ‘steam bath’ as others boiled eggs. It is claimed that the steam from the hot springs can heal skin ailments.

A local tourist boiling eggs at the geyser that was not submered in Oct 2010

Decade Occurence

Lake Bogoria Chief Warden Mr William Kimosop said geysers being covered by water in not new. “It is rare though as most of the time the water level is low. It occurs once in every 10 years,” he said.

He said the water levels started rising following heavy rains that hit highlands surrounding Lake Bogoria around September. He said heavy rains in Subukia in Nakuru North district as well as Mochongoi area led to the rise in water levels by three metres.

River Waseges that drains into the lake was overflowing thus the rise in levels in the lake. The lake water was about half a kilometre from the shore but the level rose and covered the shoreline plus the geysers.

He said the geysers were still releasing hot water but those that shot into the air could not do so because the pressure was minimised by the water covering them. Kimosop said despite the main geysers being covered, tourists visited since they have an alternative one that was visible.

The rise of water levels also saw the number of lesser and greater flamingos increase to between 1.5 million to 1.7 million birds. “This is unprecedented because they usually are between 100,000 and 200,000,” he said.

Flamingos swimming past a warning sign at Lake Bogoria

Rothschild Giraffe Photo-Courtesy

With its yellow-gold and brown spots, the Rothschild giraffe is one of the major attractions at the park.
Indeed, it is a rare animal, with only 670 of the species left in the world. So it’s with a measure of relief that conservationists have received news that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has declared the Rothschild giraffe an endangered species.

In a report posted on IUCN website on endangered species, their numbers are declining at an alarming rate, with the number of mature Rothschild giraffes standing at 250.

“The population is potentially close to meeting the population threshold for critically endangered, depending on the number of animals, if any, that survive in South Sudan,” the IUCN report states.

Remaining species

According to Zoe Muller, the lead researcher on the Rothschild Giraffe project, the remaining species are concentrated in Kenya, with a few in Uganda.

She said 60 per cent of the world’s remaining population of Rothschild’s giraffe are found in Kenya

Ms Zoe Muller, the lead researcher at Rothschild Giraffe Project-Photo Courtesy

Muller said there are three species of giraffes in Kenya: the Maasai Giraffe found at the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, the Reticulated Giraffe found in Laikipia and Samburu areas and the Rothschild giraffe found in Lake Nakuru National Park, Soysambu Conservancy and Ruma Park in Kisumu.

The latter is exclusive to the three conservation areas, according to Kenya Wildlife Service research scientist Bernard Kuloba.

Human settlement

There are 73 Rothschild Giraffe (also known as Baringo giraffe) at Lake Nakuru National Park; 49 are at Soysambu while the rest are at Ruma Park in Kisumu.

“There are a few in Eldoret and Kitale, mainly those relocated from Nakuru.

He said the endangered giraffe was originally found around Lake Baringo, but disappeared due to poaching and human settlement.

This, Kuloba said, prompted KWS to relocate most of those in Soi ranch in Eldoret to Lake Nakuru National Park for protection.

Muller said in Kenya, the wild population of the Rothschild giraffe was eradicated by agricultural development.

She said the remaining populations are physically isolated from one another, making it impossible for them to interbreed. Muller said population growth of the giraffes is further hindered by the closed nature of conservation areas.

She said historically, the endangered giraffe was found across western Kenya, Uganda, and Southern Sudan.

Isolated populations

“They have been almost totally eliminated from most of their former ranges and now survive in only a few small and isolated populations in Kenya and Uganda,” she said.

Muller said the Rothschild Giraffe project was started early this year to conserve the endangered species.

She said the project seeks to provide the first scientific review of Rothschild giraffes’ behaviour and ecology in the wild because very little is known about their habitat behaviour.

The study would enable them come up with strategies to protect them.

Muller said KWS was assisting, following the launch of a National Giraffe Conservation Strategy that will work to conserve all three of the giraffe sub-species in Kenya.

There are also plans to relocate some of the Rothschild giraffes from Soysambu Conservancy to their original home in Baringo.

Soysambu Conservancy’s CEO Ms Kathryn Combes said six adult giraffes would be relocated in October this year.

The six, three males and a female will be transferred by KWS to Ruko Conservancy near Lake Baringo with hope that they will breed and populate their original home.

As it was in the beginning, so it shall in the end.

Article also published here

Killing time at Lisbon Airport

I had to wait for my connecting flight to Nairobi for eight (8) hours and wondered what I would do to ‘kill’ time.

A few days before on the way to Turkey I had to wait five hours in Dubai and I toured all corners of the airport hence there was little to do this time.
Many travelers share the same experience and out of the Dubai experience, I want to share a few tips on what to do while waiting for your flight.

Transit Visa

If you have a connecting flight that is eight hours or more, why not get a transit visa. You may venture into the nearby city but be careful not to miss your flight.

Shopping

Airports have plenty of shopping places for clothes, jewellery perfume souvenirs, books, name it. You do not necessarily have to buy, just window shop, depending on how slow you check the items and how big the airport is, You can kill two to three hours or even more shopping . You can take photos as well

Eat and Drink

Find a restaurant and get a cup of coffee or grab a meal as you read a book. This may kill an hour or two, this goes along with drinking. There are bars in most airports and time flies when you sit while sipping a glass of beer. You will also end up making friends while you are at it and end up chatting time away

Browse

Some airports have free Internet surfing spots, check this one out though most of them you browse while standing which most people can do for about an hour; depending on your fitness.

Just Watch people

Just get a seat, relax and watch people. This may sound silly but it will amaze you how interesting it can be watching people from all races and cultures pass by. So much of a fashion show and scenes of people running around not to miss their flight. You get to learn a lot about human nature by simply watching them.

Sleep

There is no harm in turning the airport into a temporary hotel.

Travellers sleeping at Dubai Airport

Look around the airport and you may be lucky to get a comfortable plastic seat with a footrest and you can grab a few z’s till its time to queue to board your flight. If there are no comfortable seats, you can try the carpeted floor. Not to worry about dirt as most of the times they are vacuumed clean. You should remember to carry a small blanket or shawl and if forgot you can ‘borrow’ from the flight that you just alighted. Just remember to set an alarm or stick a note on your seat or bag written in large letters”wake me up at 7 am”.
Have a safe flight!!!!!

But on this particular trip to Kisumu, I was excited when I was informed that we had to wake up early, drive to Lwanda Kotieno and catch a ferry to cross to Mbita.

MV Uzinza preparing to dock at Lwanda Kotieno

Though I could not help to wonder about the ferry since I had not heard of any crossing Lake Victoria. The only floating vessels on Lake Victoria that came to mind were wooden boats with fishermen on board going to and from disputed Migingo Island.  I was also not sure how safe it was with reports of pirates who target fishermen but more so, of whether by any chance we would trespass on the unmarked Uganda ‘border’ and anger some Yoweri Museveni’s soldiers who allegedly arrest Kenyans on slight provocation.

Kit Mikaye

After a night in Kisumu we left early for Lwanda Kotieno with David-our guide-telling us that we have to be at the lakeshore by 8 am so that we do not miss the ferry.
I was excited that for once I would venture outside the City of fish.
We hit the road by 6 am and on the way marveled at the beautiful countryside until we reached Kit Mikaye.
Mary, who was brought up near this area explained the name suggested ‘the eldest wife’s stone’ but she could not explain why.
I marveled at Mother Nature. Huge boulders of stones most of them lying neatly on top of each other looking dangerous but firm running several kilometers was a sight to behold.

If we did not have a ferry to catch, I would have stopped to admire them. Some rocks were delicately balanced at about 45 degrees angle and seemed like they would roll over if pushed.

Ferry
We continued with our journey and got to Lwanda Kotieno on time but the ferry had not arrived.

After 15 minutes of waiting, the ferry appeared from behind a small island near the shore. The vessel looked small and I wondered whether it would bear the weight of our van until I saw two petrol tankers on board.

It floated all right with like four vehicles and several people on it but I had my doubts.

Stories of the Mombasa ferries stalling mid-ocean and sway by current came to mind.
The ferry was not as big as the Mombasa ones and could only accommodate vehicles packed in two rows; seemed to me it could only accommodate a maximum of eight to 10 vehicles.

Vehicles on board the ferry

The are two ferries, MV Mbita and MV Uzinza that operate under Mbita Ferry Services.
They operate alternately four times a day; at 7 am, 10 am 2 pm and 5 pm.

We boarded MV Uzinza, vehicles first; luckily only two vehicles were there, our van and a sleek range rover.
I decided against getting into the van despite the light drizzle and smell of raw fish that had been loaded minutes ago out of obvious fear that I needed not be in a vehicle in case something happens.

Lake Victoria

I noticed that the ferry was important to fish traders as well as other business people.

On board were several sacks full of fish, at one corner were several mattresses and blankets wrapped in polythene bags.

A few minutes after take off a beautiful scenery unfolded as the stable ferry navigated the calm lake waters. On both sides of the ferry were a spectacular panoramic view of the mainland.

A view of mainland from the ferry

About 50 minutes later we had crossed safely and went on another two hour journey to Suba.

We drove through Ruma Park and saw several wild animals such as giraffes and gazelles. In the park, there is also Luanda Magere Hills-the legendary hero of the Luo community, it is said he used to live there.
On the way back, we used the ferry, this time it was full with eight vehicles on board. The ferry may have looked small but it can bear a lot of weight.

Not only does it vividly bear marks of the demarcation of the capitalist and communist Germany due to the Berlin Wall but also is home to modern architecture such as the German Bundestag (parliament) that equals no other.

German's Bundestag

With such rich background, there was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to visit these two attraction sites strategically sitting in the fast cosmopolitan city that is said to be home to the highest number of foreigners than any other city in Germany.

A stroll along the streets of Berlin one sunny afternoon opened me up to the city’s rich history.

Here the rail system with all the super speed trains offer the best and most reliable means of transport, a far cry from our own back in Kenya.

A few meters away from the train station at Potsdamer Platz lies one of the longest remaining stretch of the graffiti rich Berlin wall.

Berlin Wall

Before getting to the wall, two parallel concrete engravings on the ground act as a reminder of where the intimidating wall once stood.

The popularity of this place is undeniably great as thousands of tourists throng it to see or try to associate with the feelings of people who once were separated by a wall defined as western from an Eastern German.

A section of the Berlin Wall

Unfortunately, I cannot quite connect with the feelings here, what I know about the wall came from books I read as a student.

The Wall covering a 155 kilometers stretch stood here for 28 years having been built in 1961 and brought down in November 1989.

The main reason for constructing the wall was to control emigration of East Germans to more prosperous West Germany.

There were eight border crossings between East and West Berlin, all allowing restricted movements across the border.

However there were numerous cases of individuals trying to cross illegally to West Berlin, which was considered more prosperous.

But many never made it; they were either shot dead or succumbed to the harsh weather conditions and hostile environment.

Looking around, it is easy to understand the raw emotions showed by some visitors at the wall.

Next was a visit to the legendary German parliament and I’m amazed by its architectural beauty and rich history.

It is not common to find a parliament that doubles as a lawmaking house as well as a tourist site, but the German Bundestag is.

It is at the centre of Berlin and easily accessible by bus.

Upon arrival, I am shocked to find a long queue of tourists waiting to enter the building.

Luckily, I had made advance booking for a guided tour so I did not have to queue.

After the mandatory security check, we were ushered into the building.

The Bundestag is one of the most visited parliaments in the world with 3 million tourists a year; that translates to about 5,500 visitors daily.

It is estimated that over 30 million people have visited it since 1990 and going by the winding queues, it is possible.

Not only does the huge building with its captivating pillars and sculptors attract the eye, but also its rich history makes it more alluring.

The Cupola

On top of the building is a round shaped cupola that is one of the most attractive spots for visitors.

The cupola and roof terrace is open to tourists without prior booking from 8 am to 11 pm daily.

The guide seems pleased to recount the building’s rich history and is willing to repeat ever so often.

“This was the original parliament of the German Empire and was opened in 1894 and housed the parliament until 1933” he said.

The Cupola, also known as the dome on top of the parliament building

“It again became the seat of the German parliament after a reconstruction led by internationally renowned architect Norman Foster and is today called the Bundestag,” he adds.

Within the building, there is a section of the wall inscribed in famous graffiti, which we are told was done by some Russian soldiers after Germany was defeated during the world war II and is preserved to act as a reminder.

There is the chamber where 622 members of the current German parliament representing the 16 federal states sit.

The chamber is enclosed with a glass and the members are visible when in session.

There is a gallery for the public and press.

Just above the chairman’s or speaker seat, there is a huge sculptor of an eagle.

The parliament has a cafeteria and a chapel where members worship.

A short trip took me to the dome where I am confronted by beautiful pieces of art.

The dome is directly above the chambers and over 400 mirrors have been erected to provide natural sunlight to the chambers.

A special sun shield has been put in place to avoid direct sunlight from blinding members.

From the top one gets a perfect view of Berlin city with famous Brandenburg Gate (the finishing point of the marathon during the recent Berlin World Athletics championships), Holocaust Memorial, the TV tower, River Spree, Tier Garden and the Congress Hall commonly referred to as Jimmy Carter smile.

Jews Memorial

The next stop was the memorial park built to commemorate the killing of Jews during Adolf Hitler’s Nazi rule.

The Jews Memorial Park

Not far from the Bundestag, lies the Holocaust Memorial that 4.7 acres of 2,711 grey slabs of different sizes have been erected.

The slabs do not have any writing on it and create an uneven pattern with different heights, between 0.2 meters to 4.8 meters.

Unlike the Berlin wall, the slabs are graffiti-proof and any paint applied on them can be easily washed or wipe away.

As I head back I cannot help but marvel at the wonders of the architecture and especially when mixed with rich history as the case of the German parliament.
Ends.

But on moving closer,  one instantly realises these are birds on the grass near the shoreline, not litter.

About 200,000 white storks have migrated to Lake Elementaita in the Soysambu Conservancy from Europe.

White Stork, migratory birds from Europe that have come to Lake Elementaita in Kenya

Not only have they added a spectacular sight to the already splendid view of the pink flamingos along the lake shore but have aroused curiosity as to why they chose the lake as white storks are rare in East Africa.

When the birds migrate from Europe, they mostly settle in South and North Africa.

In addition to the white body with black wings, the birds have red bills and feet.

In Europe, some people believe the birds bring happiness and good luck.

They cherish the birds and even let them build nests in homes and churches.

According to Soysambu Conservancy chief executive Kathryn Combes, the birds arrived at the conservancy in January, but in small numbers.

She said they did not notice them at first until late last month when their number increased significantly.

Migratory Birds

“At first we did not notice them until one day we found thousands of them near the lake’s shore,” she said.

They took photographs of the birds, which they later used to identify the birds from books. She said the birds rarely stop in East Africa.

“The birds often migrate to South Africa and parts of North Africa so it is amazing this time they chose here on their way back to Europe which will be getting warmer soon,” she told The Standard on Saturday.

Kathryn Combes, CEO Soysambu Conservancy

“This is rare because the common migratory birds here are flamingos. But we are glad they are here even though we do not know when they will go,” she said.

At first the birds kept to marshy spots near the lake but as the number swelled, they moved further to the plains.

She said the white storks rarely perch on trees. Most of the time they are on the ground pecking.

Soysambu Conservancy Wildlife and Community Manager Mr Charles Muthui said the birds have attracted marabou storks.

He said there are usually about 100 marabou storks at the conservancy but their number had increased to more than 2,000 since the white storks arrived.

He said the marabous were hostile to the white storks, which they kill and feed on.

The white storks inhabit several European countries including Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and parts of Germany.

According to Birdlife International, the birds are carnivorous and feed on small insects such as locusts, frogs, mice, rats and snakes explaining why they attracted marabou storks that feed on the same.

The birds migrate from Europe in August arriving in Africa in October.

They then begin their journey back towards April as summer approaches in Europe.

Peter Njoroge, a bird expert from National Museums of Kenya said the white storks have been spotted in Kenya before but not in such large numbers.

Heavy Rains

He said the white storks have initially been spotted in Kenya grassland areas mostly in Eastern Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Maasai Mara between November and April.

He said they have not conducted census on how many stop over during the migratory period but the batches never exceeded 1,000 to 3,000 birds.

“If about 200,000 birds stopped in Soysambu then investigations should be done to find out why because it is unprecedented,” he said.

Njoroge said the birds could be heading back to Europe as summer approaches.

He said their stopping in Soysambu could have been triggered by various factors including change of course by storm.

“There has been heavy rains in the recent past and these could have blown the birds off course or forced them to land as they cannot fly in such weather” he said.

He added that increase in food could also have attracted the white storks, as they need to feed to restore their energy for the flight back to Europe.

He attributed the increase in food to recent rains.

He said the number of the marabou storks could have increased as they prey on the young, sickly and weak white storks.

White Stork

The white stork belongs to the most famous birds. Not only because of the myth linked between newborns andstorks, but also because of its natural beauty and elegance.

The stork is approximately 110cm (43 inches) long.

Its slim body has got mainly white plumage and a black band on the wings.

The bill and legs are red. The males and the females are similar.

Watching them flying is always a spectacular moment.

The white stork inhabits different parts of the world depending on the season. During winter they inhabit northern, western and southeastern parts of Africa and Asia.

In April, they return to Europe for summer. Their long journey back to Africa begins in August. They live in large nests made of sticks, dry grass and other vegetation. Their nests are generally close to water areas.

These incredibly elegant birds feed on fish, amphibians, invertebrates and small mammals.

They lay up to five eggs.

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