The blood thirsty tourist attraction site in Nakuru
Inside Menengai crater where bodies have been found by locals in the past.
Menengai crater is among the leading tourist attraction sites in Nakuru County.
Being the second largest caldera in Africa after Ngorongoro in Tanzania, Menengai offers scenic nature views, breath-taking sunsets, the best terrain for hiking, a great view of the geothermal power plants and caves where people go to pray.
Menengai caldera in Nakuru city.
Bird lovers are not left out either, as a variety of bird species can be spotted by bird watching enthusiasts.
Owing to this, thousands of locals, international tourists and community members flock to this magnificent site to enjoy with friends and family.
Nonetheless, Menengai has also been linked to several cases where people have died, either accidentally or by suicide.
There have also been cases of bodies being dumped in this crater.
In an interview with Mtaa Wangu, Menengai Crater Ecotourism chairman who doubles up as a tour guide, James Maina, says in most cases, people have fallen into the crater by accident.
Menengai Crater Ecotourism chairman who doubles as a tour guide, James Maina, uses a binocular to view the geothermal power plants on August 19, 2023.
"Menengai crater has volcanic ash soil which tends to be slippery while walking on. Hiking individuals thus need the right gear less they slip and fall to their death," Maina explains.
He assigns blame to the narrow route on the steep cliff, adding that some tourists who are not familiar with the place have died when using these routes.
From our conversation with other guides who operate curio shops at the peak of Menengai, there are only two safe routes to use while going up or down the cliff.
Some of the items sold at curios shops on Menengai crater.
The first one that is a seven-kilometre walk is from the view point through the caldera and out through London estate .
The second route is going down from the peak through the caldera and back to the peak which is four kilometres.
Mtaa Wangu also learnt that some people tend to take the route used by charcoal burners when avoiding being arrested by the forest guards.
This path is popular as one can avoid paying the entrance fee since it does not lead to the main gate.
Other than better routes to use, favourable weather conditions are factors that some people who tour the place do not put into consideration.
Peter Ndegwa, a resident around Menengai crater says, " We have had to rescue people who went to the bottom for nature walks and got caught up in the rain. Normally flash floods occur when it rains.
He further explains that if a tourist is trapped or injured while in the crater, it becomes even harder for them to get to the peak.
Consequently, if no one comes to their rescue it might be a tragic case for these individuals.
Other than people touring the place, community members grazing their herds here or those cutting grass on the cliffs have also been swallowed by the crater.
Last week, a young boy fell and died while herding cattle at this site. The minor was visiting his extended family in Nakuru from Kirinyaga county.
In as much as Menengai holds prestige as a magical tourist destination, such cases have given it an ugly face.