The Great Rift Valley

The Great Rift Valley is one of the most breathtaking geological features in the world. It measures approximately 7000kms and stretches all the way from Lebanon in Asia to Mozambique in South East Africa. In Kenya, it starts at Lake Turkana at the Ethiopian border and stretches down to Lake Magadi where it ends at the Tanzanian border. The Great Rift Valley is still drifting and in a few million years to come, it will separate Africa into two continents namely the Nubian plate and Somali plate. This means at one point, Kenya will be split into two.

Lakes

The Great Rift Valley has a system of 8 Lakes in its floor from top to bottom namely

• Lake Turkana
• Lake Logipi
• Lake Baringo
• Lake Bogoria
• Lake Nakuru
• Lake Elmenteita
• Lake Naivasha
• Lake Magadi

Most of the lakes are alkaline with the exception of Lake Baringo and Lake Naivasha which are freshwater lakes. We will look at each lake in depth later. The lake system and the vegetation in the rift valley has made it a very popular tourist spot since it has several national parks. The lake water system makes it a popular spot for bird lovers where they get to view thousands of different bird species.

Hills

The Rift Valley in Kenya has several volcanic hills. The most popular being Mount Longonot which stands at 2776metres high. Other notable hills and spots are Mount Suswa, Nabuyaton crater, Hells gate and Menengai. The volcanic mountains are mostly dormant but the ground remains to be very active and has several hot springs which are tapped and used for geothermal power generations.

Escarpments

When touring the region, there are several escarpments viewing points where you can stand and get to see breathtaking views of the valley floor. Some of these viewpoints are Mai mahiu view point, Nakuru view point, Elgeyo Marakwet view point among others.

Access

To reach the Rift Valley is quite easy in Kenya. There are several public transport vehicles going there since it's a massive region with millions of people leaving within the escarpments.

Further reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Rift_Valley

https://magicalkenya.com/places-to-visit/highlands-and-valleys/rift-valley/