About The Baringo Geopark
—Geopark overview
Geological and Natural Heritage
The Baringo Great Rift Valley (BGRV) Geopark is part of the vast Afro-Arabian Rift system that extends for approximately 6000km from the Gulf of the Suez, in the Middle East through the Red Sea to Mozambique. The proposed Baringo Great Rift Valley Geopark in Kenya is part of the East Africa Rift System (EARS); its geologic structure is characterized by steep-fault scarps, deep gorges, step-faulted blocks, cliffs, escarpments, box faults, lakes system, cinder cones and craters on the rift floor, gushing geysers, and hot springs; to name a few. Additionally, there are volcanic, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks; the older Proterozoic metamorphic rocks occur in a small region in the north, while the larger part of the geopark is covered by volcanic rocks.
The region is characterized by faults such as the Saimo Fault, which delineates Tugen Hills in the west, while on the eastern part there are series of fault scarps forming the Laikipia Rift Border Fault. Baringo- Bogoria Basin (BBB) lies west of the Saimo Fault in the rift floor and is 50km long and 20 km wide.
The geopark has rich geothermal resources that are being exploited for purposes of energy production and indicated oil deposits and economic resources like extremophiles, natural spas diatomite, ruby, vermiculite, fluorite, bentonite, carbon dioxide, sand, and ballast.
In addition, the region is part of a biodiversity hotspot classified by Conservation International, Centres of endemism and Important Bird Areas (IBA) as designated by Birdlife International. This can be explained by high species diversity for both plants and animals (including biome restricted) occurring at various altitudes and a variety of ecosystems ranging from savanna, aquatic, wetland to Afromontane ecosystems. Inventories for species for some sites have been documented. There exists unique species of plants and animals that are of global conservation concern including globally threatened flora and fauna (e.g., leopard, elephants, cheetah, lesser flamingo), range restricted, biome restricted and congregatory species (e.g., flamingos).
Some the geo-sites within the geopark are part of the African-Eurasian Migratory flyway – an important passage and wintering site for palaearctic and afro tropical migratory bird species. Because of the importance of these areas in sustainable development, they have been gazetted as protected areas including forest reserves, national reserves, community conservation areas or designated as water towers, conservancies under the Kenyan legislation and internationally designated as Ramsar sites under the Ramsar convention on wetlands of international significance (L. Bogoria and L. Baringo) and as World Heritage sites under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention (L. Bogoria).
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage in its broadest sense is both a product and process which provides societies with a wealth of resources, which is inherited from the past, created in the present and bestowed for the benefit of the future generations. Traditionally, cultural heritage has been associated with monuments and collection of objects. However, it now covers the traditional and living expressions inherited by ancestors and passed on to descendants. Baringo GRV geopark is culturally diverse and hosts various ethnic groups including Tugen, Pokot and Ilchamus. The different sub-groups/ sub dialects of the Tugen include; Arror, Samor, Endorois, Lembus, Pokor, Kakimor and Keben. Communities from other parts of Kenya are also represented. These communities have different sacred sites dotted across the geopark expansive landscape, which includes and not limited to sacrificial altars (Kapkoros), ritual sites, (Kapindasim), ceremonial sites (Kaptum). They also have traditional trails and pathways that connect the various cultural, natural, and sacred sites, facilitate trade and exchange, linking villages and communities, and used for traditional sports such as village marathons.
Having interacted with each other over a long period of time, these communities also share common cultural practices, more so, as they are the main subgroups forming the Kalenjin community. For example, they all share the same age-set system (ipinda) which provides a basis for indigenous governance mechanisms, fosters intercultural dialogues, understanding, peacebuilding, social cohesion, and inter-generational knowledge exchange and transmission. Each clan within the various subgroups have specific sites where they conduct initiation rites. Besides the age-set, they all also share a similar traditional food (yoghurt) famously known as Mursik. They also utilize various indigenous plants as medicine to treat various diseases and ailments.
The different ethnic groups also have rich and diverse intangible cultural heritage such as oral traditions and expressions including language which acts a vehicle for ICH, performing arts, social practices, rituals, and festive events, traditional craftsmanship, ethnobotany, ethnomedicine, ethnoornithology, and knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, which are all vastly disappearing because of modernity and rampant globalization. All these domains are well articulated under the 2003 UNESCO Conventions on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage, which Kenya became a signatory in 2007. Additionally, as a strong link between nature and conservation these communities have identity totems which include animals and natural features/ phenomenon such as thunder, moon, sun, stars, etc.
There exist several cultural items made in the traditional tanneries such as shoes, bags, honey containers made of leather and wood, special livestock/ cowbells, sword handles and sheath, production of traditional beehives, swords, spears, hoes, and objects of personal adornment e.g., beaded necklace. All these products and associated Indigenous Knowledge Systems have enormous potential in terms of promoting sustainable environmental and wildlife conservation and boosting the creative cultural industry and socio-economic advancement of the region, and the Country as a whole.
Traditional weather forecasting has been used as a tool for disaster preparedness and management, weather prediction and in planning for agricultural activities.
The rich cultural activities that celebrate the rich ethnic diversity within the geopark, play an important role in promoting, peacebuilding, social cohesion, and economic empowerment of the local communities.