Thomson Falls: Nyahururu’s best-kept natural secret

Hidden by a thicket of shrubs off the Nyahururu-Nyeri road, the famous Thomson Falls is one of Laikipia County’s prime tourist attractions.

Standing 74 metres high on Ewaso Narok River, just two kilometres from Nyahururu town, the scenic falls are named after European missionary Joseph Thomson.

According to historical records, Mr Thomson, a Scottish geologist and explorer, was the first white man to visit the falls in 1883.

The explorer was travelling across East Africa when he stumbled on the roaring natural wonder deep in a dense forest. It so fascinated him that he named it after himself.

The world’s most famous waterfall, nestled 7,800 feet above sea level, attracts local and foreign visitors, who flock the site to experience nature at its best.

Visitors to the site are required to pay an entry fee which depends on your nationality. The fee for Kenyan adults is Sh100 and Sh20 for children who are Kenyan citizens.

For non-Kenyans, the fee is Sh200, a pittance considering the value proposition at the breathtaking scenery. 

But side by side with the scenery's natural beauty abounds many tragic tales.

Data available at Nyahururu Police Station indicates that about 30 people have committed suicide at the falls.

“Until 2016, it was gaining notoriety as a favourite spot for people seeking to commit suicide. I have witnessed about 30 people commit suicide there,” said Ms Hanna Mukami, who has lived at the neighbouring Manguo estate for many years.

According to Ms Mukami, one victim was a clergyman who was said to have driven from Nyeri County to end his life at the falls.

Had travelled from Murang’a

“In another incident, the body of a 30-year-old woman which was retrieved at the falls by the police in 2016 stayed at the mortuary for months before her relatives showed up.

“It was later discovered that she had travelled from Murang’a to come to the falls,” said Mr Paul Njoroge, another resident.

There was a lull in cases of suicide from 2016 to July this year, when a photo-shoot expedition by a man and his sister turned tragic after the latter slipped and drowned at the falls.

Jemima Oresha, 39, was standing on a rock near the river at the bottom of the falls when she slipped and fell to her death.

Her brother, Mr Zablon Mungafu, who was taking the photos, watched helplessly as his sister was swept away by the raging waters.

The siblings had travelled to Nyahururu town from Kitale in Trans Nzoia County to visit some of their relatives, who live in Nyahururu, and were set to return to Kitale the following day.

A search by a team of police officers, the county emergency response unit, the Kenya Red Cross and KFS was later mounted on River Ewaso Narok.

The victim's decomposing body was found five kilometres downstream 10 days ago, with the rescue team citing the heavy volume of unclear water in the river – coupled with huge rocks dotting the river – as the main challenge in the search.

Though one can get a full view of the falls by going down to the floor of the jungle, officials at the falls have been encouraging people to walk down the valley in groups.

Laikipia County government has also been rehabilitating the site for the safety of visitors.

“As you walk down the steep slope, you will realise that we have placed neatly arranged stairs and stones on the walkway to make it easier for visitors to walk down the narrow valley,” said County Executive for Trade, Cooperatives and Tourism Biwott Tirop.