Near the shores of Lake Victoria, in Mihuru Bay, Migori County, there are two places worth visiting: the Nyumba and Mungu and Mugabo caves, which are the perfect place for hiking. The area above the Nyumba and Mungu caves offers a kaleidoscopic view of the lake.
But the Mugabo caves are not well known and, therefore, are not frequented by tourists. The two sites are located less than three kilometers away.
CALM
However, they offer a perfect place to spend time alone, whether only to enjoy some peace and quiet, to meditate or pray. The caves are large enough for a human to comfortably enter. Love birds also spend quality time in the thick and rocky surroundings after a visit to the caves.
At the top of the caves there are large flat stones that offer, not only a panoramic view of Lake Victoria, but also a glimpse of the famous Migingo Island in the distance.
Depending on the time of your visit, the lake’s waters may be calm or agitated, but seeing it from the top of the rocks produces a feeling of calm.
The people of Mihuru Bay, the custodians of the caves, say that Suba artifacts were preserved in the caverns until the early 1990s, but gradually disappeared due to lack of attention at that time.
“Our grandparents preserved the artifacts of our community, but visitors would come and steal them, until there was nothing left,” said Eliakim Wormwood, an elder of the community.
Wormwood also reveals that before and after the colonial era, they would hide in the caves of their enemies.
“No warrior from the invading group would chase our fighters once they entered the caves,” he said. “It was an unwritten rule! Women and children also sought refuge there in times of trouble. ”
ADVANTAGE
But without wars today, caves are frequently used by those who seek a quiet place to pray.
“People believe that their gods listen to them better from there. Some people believe that the spirits of their ancestors are around Lake Victoria, and since the caves are adjacent to one of the largest bodies of water in Africa, they are obliged to listen to them, “said Mr. Wormwood, 70 .
Joshua Wakirongo, also an elder of the community, says that prehistoric caves were used for surveillance.
“During the wars, especially with neighboring communities, a warrior would climb the rock on top of the caves to examine the situation, as it is a strategic point,” he said.
The president of the Mugabo Beach Administration Unit, Tobias Moragiri, says the Migori County government should fence the caves to facilitate their conservation. This, he says, will allow the county to earn money from the dozens of tourists who visit the site.
“The county government needs to intervene and preserve the caves, which have become a major tourist attraction,” he said. “That way, they can easily earn money by charging visitors a small fee.”
EXTORT
For now, cunning villagers take advantage of the situation to extort visitors, demanding no less than Sh1,000 from each group of tourists.
But the Director of Commerce and Tourism of Migori County, Daudi Obado, said the local administration has partnered with the National Museums of Kenya to improve tourist sites in the region, including caves.
He added that they have made an inventory of all the sites and are planning to build a resort in Mihuru Bay and improve the roads that lead to all the mapped sites.
He said Migori County is the gateway to famous tourist attractions, such as the Serengeti and Maasai Mara national parks, a situation that, according to him, should be exploited well.
“Our attractions should be your first stops while traveling to the national parks of Masai Mara and Serengeti,” Obado said.
He said a forum for marketing tourist sites in West Ken