10 Hours Ramogi Hills Day Trip

Ramogi Hills Day Trip – Ramogi means the father of the Luo tribe. He said it is also a title given to a leader of the community.

The hill is of great significance to Luo because it is believed to be the first point where the community settled in Kenya from South Sudan, before dispersing to other parts of Nyanza and neighboring Tanzania. The Ramogi Hill is a unifying factor for all the Luo since their ancestors first settled there on their way from South Sudan through Uganda.

Ramogi Hills is a significant attraction in Luo land and beyond. The Luo community believe that the father of the Luo tribe Ramogi Ajwang’ settled on the hills after a long, hard and tiresome migratory journey from Uganda. At this modern time, this settlement region is a reserved forest and has many cultural sites that are important to the Luo community. From the hill top, you are rewarded by spectacular views of the Gangu Rift that includes Lake Kanyaboli and the Yala Swamp.

This excursion allows you to take a sneak peek into Luo history and culture, and for this very reason, Ramogi Hills is definitely the place worth your time. This is a place where you will not only learn more about the history and culture of Luo but also have an adventure as you enjoy the inviting ecosystem.

The secluded hilly terrain is a combination, of a dense forest, and an expansive Yala Swamp on its foot. An easy walk to the top of Ramogi Hills, rewards any visitor with a good view of the vast Yala Swamp below, with its waters that snake through the swamp as it gets filtered eventually before draining into Lake Victoria.

From the heights of the Ramogi Hills, one can easily mistake the swamp for uncultivated land because of the lovely greenery covering it.

For nature lovers, Ramogi Hills has some abundant species of butterflies, birds, and reptiles as well as a wide variety of trees and flowers, some of which are endangered species.

Apart from the rich flora and fauna, the forest is associated with a number of myths. For instance, that one can meet Ramogi, the ancestor of Luo. While accessing the forest one has to pluck tree figs and put them into earthen pots surrounding the Rapogi Stone, located at the entry to Ramogi Hill.

The Rapogi Stone is a huge pike of rock that Ramogi is said to have used as an altar. Legend has it that Ramogi frequently prayed next to the stone to appease the gods to bless the area with rain in times of drought. On the higher grounds, one will not fail to see the vague outline of a house. It is believed this was Ramogi’s home, known as Gunda in Luo.

Another interesting landmark that must not be missed is the Kar-Dhiang. It is characterized by rocks that resemble the shapes of a cow and a calf. It is believed this is where Ramogi grazed his animals.

A big fig tree is located right in the middle of Ramogi Hill. The local residents believe the tree swallowed a number of axes and machetes of those who attempted to cut it down. Lastly, while on the hill, it’s important to remember that you are standing only a few meters away from the equator line that runs across on its northern foot.

From the hill, we will drive back to the shoreline of Lake Victoria for some mouth-watering local cuisine before embarking on our journey back to Kisumu. After learning so much from Kang’o Ka Jaramogi, we will drive back to Kisumu stopping at Kit Mikayi, a big rock that is located on our way to Kisumu. Kit Mikayi is said to be the place where the mother of all the Luo community (Mikayi) rested after a long journey from the Nile. The massive rocks appear as huge columns that are piled together into huge columns that seem to defy the nature of gravity.

The Luo Shrine just out of the bustling lakeside city, life lies Kenya’s most dramatic cultural site, a vast granite rock tower called Kit Mikayi. The rock, which is about 80 feet tall, is located 30 kilometres to the west of Kisumu city.

While doing the activity we get to learn more about the myth behind Kit Mikayi which in Luo dialect means “the stone of the first wife” is a: Long time ago, there was an old man by the name Ngeso who was in great love with the stone.

Daily, Ngeso would wake up in the morning, walk into the cave inside the stone and spend the whole day there. This would force his wife to bring him breakfast and lunch on a daily basis. Having fallen passionately in love with this stone to the extent that people would ask the wife his whereabouts, she could answer that he has gone to his first wife (Mikayi) hence the stone of the first wife (Kit Mikayi).

To the Luo tribe, the explanation about the rock takes a slightly different twist. The rock’s features and components represent the Luo cultural polygamous family which had the first wife’s house (Mikayi) built further in between on the right-hand side was the second wife’s house (Nyachira) while the third wife’s house (Reru) was built on the left side of the homestead. After dancing with the women cultural dancers, we will drive back to Kisumu where our day trip ends.