Naromoru guides and porters earn more after formalising their trade

For the past three decades, Matthew Maina has scaled the heights of Mount Kenya as a porter before becoming a guide.

However, for a significant part of his career, the industry lacked formalisation. At his hometown in Narumoru, anyone with adept hiking skills and willingness to offer services at a modest fee could easily become a guide.

For many, including Matthew, who used to work as a petrol station attendant, the job was just a side hustle. He would frequent the town which is a mere 30 kilometres from Mt Kenya, hoping to find trekkers in need of his services.

The occupation, he recounts, was unsustainable because the few professional guides in the region were being mistreated by local hotels and lodges, resulting in meagre pay. The earnings, mostly tips, were easy to squander.

It was only about four years ago that the local community decided to formalise the profession by forming an association called the Mt Kenya Guides and Porters Safari Club to regulate the trade.

The association’s chairman Elias Githinji notes that prior attempts to form such an organisation often fell through due to difficulties ranging from interference from local hotels, membership disputes and ineffective leadership in mobilising the community.

180 members

Today, the association boasts of 180 members from the ages of 18 to 68, with roles ranging from guides, porters and cooks.

He explains that for one to become a member of the association, he must undergo a thorough evaluation by a committee seeking to understand their background. This process involves understanding one’s motivation for joining and also assessing his past conduct.

“Given that many of our clients carry valuable items, it is crucial to gauge how prospective members might respond in such contexts. We strongly advise against any undue interest in a client’s belongings,” explains Githinji.

Read: How Kenyan climber conquered Mt Everest

Applicants should have a good reputation within the community and be able to provide a local reference who can vouch for them. An endorsement letter from their area chief or elder attesting to their trustworthiness is also a requirement. The chairman says that due to the nature of the job, personal hygiene is also on the association’s radar during evaluations.

Over the years, the organisation has relaxed its educational requirements because some of its applicants come from underprivileged backgrounds with limited access to formal education.

New members start off as porters, the first step on the career ladder.

“Transitioning from a porter to a guide is an extensive journey of growth, and today, almost all guides trace their origins back to the humble beginnings of managing the duties and baggage associated with the porters’ roles,” he explains.

The porters learn through apprenticeship, and once they demonstrate proficiency, they advance to the position of an assistant guide.

The association does not hire guides from outside and instead focuses on nurturing its own.

Through the association’s initiatives, some of the members have secured scholarships from the National Outdoor Leadership School in the United States thus receiving formal education in the field.

Currently, over 50 guides within the association are certified, having undergone training on outdoor trekking methods, ecotourism, customer relations, marketing, first aid and mountain search and rescue operations at the institution.

Locally, the association’s porters and cooks have also received formal training from the Dedan Kimathi University.

Secures jobs

Such training has enabled the members meet international standards and consequently raise their prices.

“Our charges have however not been received well in the market because we still have quacks who offer the services at low rates with the aim being to shut us out,” he says.

For mountain guiding and porter services, the association charges a fee of USD182 (Sh27,000) per day.

The association secures jobs for its members, either from tour companies or individual international clients, and negotiates salaries.

The chairman says that the approach is particularly to safeguard the porters, who in the country, their role is often regarded as informal and therefore inadequately paid.

“Currently, the association has set Sh1,300 as the minimum payment for a porter. However, we are pushing for an increase, especially considering the rising cost of living,” he explains.

In return, each of the members is required to contribute a portion of their earnings to support the association’s operations.

Through these collective funds, the association has bought land and established an office along the hiking trail to Mt Kenya.

At the property, the members have also constructed cottages, providing lodging options and camping amenities to their clients.

“Some members have diversified our services, investing in taxis to facilitate airport transfers for our clients,” adds Mr Githinji.

The association caters to a diverse clientele, including corporate teams, school groups, members of the British military, foreign tourists and locals keen on outdoor activities.

Travel destinations

To market their services, they utilise online guidebooks highlighting travel destinations, engage audiences on social media, advertise in magazines, and through word-of-mouth referrals.

Despite their strides, Githinji says challenges persist in the mountaineering profession, the biggest being the absence of a regulatory body to oversee the activities of mountain guides and porters.

Read: Indian climber banned for faking Everest ascent reaches summit

He says that the unchecked freedom within the industry has made the profession vulnerable.

“The lack of a central oversight body has caused a limited advocacy for the rights and needs of porters and guides, putting them at risk of abuse,” he explains.

Additionally, climate change is also posing new challenges to the profession because of the rising temperatures that have led to an uptick in mosquito-borne diseases at higher altitudes, therefore, presenting health concerns for both guides and porters.

According to the chairman, local myths, particularly the belief that the mountain is unsafe for women, have contributed to a low female participation rate in the association. Currently, only 10 women are members, serving as either porters or mountain guides.

The association’s biggest achievement is nurturing the first Kenyan to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

James Kagambi, a 62-year-old retired teacher, who serves as a mountain guide in the association, achieved this remarkable feat last year, by reaching the 29,032 feet peek after 40 days.

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