Day 7 – 10TH June 2016
The Tanzania Leg
It is now the seventh day of the East Africa Ivory Belongs to Elephants walk. I have covered approximately 136Kms. I walked for 22Kms today from Bisil where I set off from yesterday to Ngatatoek shopping centre. I had to stop at Ngatatoek because I had blisters that needed to be attended to. On reaching Ngatatoek ranger Wandera recommended that I rest to give time for the injuries to heal before embarking on the journey to Namanga. My highlight today was meeting people I mentored more than 10 years ago doing well for themselves and still in conservation. I met two of my former rangers who were also very excited to see me.
Apart from having slight injuries on my feet, the issue of charcoal burning in Kajiado County is weighing heavily on me. I can’t help but think that something needs to be done about it. As I walked I counted the number of motorcycles transporting huge bags of charcoal to Bisil Market, up to almost 30. This is a serious problem, trees being cut down at this rate creates an imbalance in the ecosystem. It is a problem that cannot be ignored.