Mwea
National Reserve
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Ground Information
The Reserve was gazetted through legal notice No. 2 of 29th
January 1976 covering an area of approximately 42sq km northwest
of Kamburu Dam at the confluence of Tana and Thiba rivers.
Two islands within Kamburu dam (constructed in 1976) are
part of the protected area.
Southern boundary of the reserve is bound by Tana river
while East boundary conforms to Thiba river. North boundary
is marked by an electric fence that protects animals from
invading Makima settlement.
The earliest human settlement
in Makima area dates back to 1914, though wildlife conservation
intervention was not until 1972 when the DC - Embu and District
Warden visited to sensitize the local community on the conservation
of the otherwise teeming wildlife population.
The earliest human settlement
in Makima area dates back to 1914, though wildlife conservation
intervention was not until 1972 when the DC - Embu and District
Warden visited to sensitize the local community on the conservation
of the otherwise teeming wildlife population.
Mwea National Reserve is today
co-managed between Kenya Wildlife Service and Mbeere County
Council through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). An
Advisory Committee oversees the implementation of management
plans of the Reserve making these arrangement to be unique
in comparison with other Reserves.
Mwea National Reserve Trust
was founded in 1991 with the aim of soliciting funds to
develop the reserve. Quite a number of projects have been
funded through donations from well-wishers including a boat
and out-board engine, energy saving jikos, translocating
of Zebras and many others.
In 1991, the British, jointly
with KWS constructed three bridges and graded most of the
Reserve roads, helped in the construction of two classrooms
at Namuri Primary School. At around the same time the electric
fence constructed with funds from the European Union (EU)
was commissioned thereby lessening the ever escalating human-wildlife
Conflicts.
Location
Geographically Mwea National Reserve is located between
latitudes 0 45'N and 0 52'N, longitudes 37 35'E and 37 40'E.
Administratively its located within Makima Location, Karaba
Division of Mbeere District, in Eastern Province.
Climate
Hot and dry with occasional easterly winds with bimodal
rainfall of between 250 and 500mm. Temperatures range between
10 and 30oC.
How To Get There
The reserve is accessible through air, road, and railway.
Air: There is an all-weather airstrip at
Masinga about 14km from the reserve Hqs Main gate.
Road: A number of routes can be used:
Nairobi - Thika - Garissa
and turn off at about 130kms following the tarmac, to river
crossing at Kamburu Dam, and another turn-off at Machang'a
then over Thiba river for 11kms, to the Reserve: a total
of 193kms.
Using (i) above, turn-off
just after Kaewa and running south parallel to Tana River
to cross at Masinga Dam well through Mbooni to the Reserve
Hqs: a Total of 180kms.
Nairobi - Embu via Thika and
the 43kms along Embu to Kitui. Turn off is at Machang'a
and then 11kms to the Reserve Hqs.
Alternate routes are available
from Embu though they are earth roads to the Reserve Hqs.
Railway:
13kms from Nairobi, a third class coach travels upto Sagana
where one can drop off before the train proceeds to Nanyuki.
This is scheduled for Saturdays while return journey is
on Sundays. From Sagana, public transport is readily available
to Embu and then Mwea National Reserve.
Park Gates:
The Reserve has only one gate at the Hqs.
Major Attractions
The attractions can be divided
into: What is available outside the National Reserve including
dams and Mwea National Reserve attractions.
Various dams are located within
reach of some few minutes from Mwea National Reserve. They
include Kamburu, Masinga, Kiambere, Gitaru, Kindaruma (provides
the main source of hydro-power in Kenya). Other additional
sites on same Tana river include Mutonga Grand Falls, Usueni,
Adamson Falls and Kora.
All these dams can be visited
with prior arrangements with KenGen management. Masinga
Resort offers boat safaris at a fee in Masinga dam.
The Land is low with occasional
hills and to the North are the extended low-lying ranges
towards Siakago: the District Hqs of Mbeere District. On
clear days Mt. Kenya can be seen to the North. Indeed land
slopes to the foothills of Mt. Kenya from Mwea Area.
Other areas of attraction:
Hippo Point, Campsites, Picnic sites, Sandy and stoney beach,
4kms long., Park Infrastructure
There is a central road from which two main circuits emanate:
Thiba and Tana circuit. In total the Reserve boasts of a
road network of 95kms long.
Kamburu Dam (15km), The reserve
has two boats and out-board engines that can be hired to
our visitors for use in Karnbura dam with own fuel and oil.
Accommodation
Masinga Resort is about 13kms away and offers good accommodation
in addition to a campsite. Other areas with good Hotel facilities
include Embu (Izaak Walton) and Thika towns. These towns
have a wide range of hotels from the common budget hotels
to high class.
Campsites and Picnic
sites
A public campsite exists 200m south of the Reserve Hqs on
a raised ground. Long drop pit latrine and bathrooms are
available.
There are two Special Campsites: Silvester, Mavuria
Few picnic sites are available.
Near the public campsite, there is a picnic site with a
pit latrine. Another picnic site with a long drop pit latrine
is at Hippo point.
Common Animals
Dik dik, Elephants, Rothschild giraffes, Common zebras,
Cape hare, Warthog, Lesser kudu, Hippos, Crocodile, Stripped
ground squirrel, Vervet Monkeys, Aardvark, Yellow baboons,
Buffalo, Water Buck, Bush buck, Grants gazelle, Impala,
Black backed jackal, Crested porcupine, Duiker, Sykes monkeys,
Genet cat, Slender mongoose, Dwarf mongoose, Rock Hyrax,
Tree Hyrax, Tortoise.
Birds
About 150 different bird species have been recorded in the
reserve. Quite a number of different snakes and lizards
exist too.
Common Vegetation
The Reserve has many vegetation types. Some areas have thick
bush with scattered large trees, which sometimes render
game viewing a difficult undertaking. Other areas have grass
with scattered trees while along the main rivers, and dry
river valleys are large trees with thick undergrowth. Trees
mainly found include: the baobab, Acacia tortolis, Acacia
mellifera and Commiphora.
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