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In Conversation with Lawrence Ngugi from Borana Lodge
5 July 2024
Borana: More Than A Game Drive
Over a hundred years ago, at the conclusion of the First World War, an East African Mounted Rifleman called Will Powys began managing sheep in the Great Rift Valley. He was good at it, gradually expanding his ovine empire to take in a substantial swathe of prime land in the centre of Kenya. In 1928, his exploits saw him buy another piece of Kenyan countryside, a slice of land where, since 1993, the Borana Lodge has stood. The surrounding area, as explored by Powys a century ago, is the Borana Conservancy, a place where people and nature exist side by side and to which his descendants have enjoyed a unique link ever since. The lodge is still owned by the family – now the Dyers – and, for this interview, we sat down with its Assistant Manager, Lawrence Ngugi, to hear all about how it, and the surrounding conservancy work.
When I ask Lawrence about the history of Borana, it becomes clear straightaway that its north star has always been nature: sheep were how it all began and in more recent times it has been a cattle ranch. So far, perhaps not the exotic creatures of the Kenyan plains that I was envisaging. That’s not strictly fair, though, as this is a place teeming with wildlife, including the big five and a list of antelope species so long I give up writing them down as Lawrence rattles them off.
It’s also a place where, in 2013, a population of 21 critically endangered Black Rhino was introduced in an effort to expand secure habitat. In Kenya, Borana Conservancy was at the forefront of this, pioneering a project that has seen numbers steadily rise over the past decade. When I ask Lawrence whether the initiative has seen success, he lights up, citing the fact that there are now 56 rhino – a number that is set to keep rising.
Once the original population had established their territories, the fence that separated Borana from its neighbouring conservancy, Lewa, was dropped, allowing the animals to roam freely across more than 90,000 acres of Kenyan wilderness. It’s the prospect of seeing a rhino that attracts so many visitors to the conservancy – and to the lodge. Perched on a hillside with sweeping views of the conservancy, Lawrence tells us, with more than a hint of understatement, that it’s a pretty nice to place to work. It’s not hard to see why. Since 1993, guests have been enjoying an ecolodge experience complete with pool, bar, and an atmosphere of relaxed Kenyan hospitality.
It really does look like a special place to stay, with a list of activities to boot. Lawrence tells us that, of course, there are the game drives in modified Land Rovers so associated with this part of the world but, whereas visitors to the Mara reserve further south spend all of their time under petrol power, Borana guests should expect to earn their lunch. There are mountain and electric bike safaris, where cyclists can get to within a few dozen metres of elephants, zebras and giraffes. Then there are the horse riding safaris for all abilities, where guests can ride right alongside other animals of the wild, enjoy picnics in the bush and even a canopy walk in a forest that takes in a spot of swimming – ‘really really something’ is how Lawrence describes it; again, with more than a hint of understatement.
Borana is a slick operation, with monitoring teams working around the clock to ensure that the wildlife is safe and healthy. Lawrence tells us that 90% of guests see lions when staying for four or more nights, helped in no small part by the pride’s monitoring team. To take us back to where it all began, though, it’s the rhino tracking that truly sets Borana apart. Clients start in the morning by joining a scout, tracking both black and white rhino on foot and reporting on their whereabouts. This, Lawrence says, makes the experience all the more exhilarating, allowing people to see up close and personal how the animals behave and interact with the world around them and with the people who are trying their best to conserve them for the next generation.
It’s at the mention of the next generation that Lawrence begins to tell us about another string to Borana’s bow: the 4Cs. These are conservation, community, culture and commerce, and they guide everything that takes place at the lodge and conservancy. The Dyer family is passionate about all four and there are a number of measures in place that are making them happen. There’s the education programme that employs 15 teachers and has supported numerous schools in the area. It invests in kids from as young as six, guiding them through school right up until university, as well as providing the opportunity of a job back at Borana if their qualifications apply. The numbers show it’s working, too, with 80% of employees in the conservancy being from the surrounding communities.
There’s also an environmental education centre at Borana, specialising in teaching the generation to come how to conserve, preserve and restore. Lawrence says it’s vital that local children know what’s happening, what mistakes people have made in the past and how best they can go about sorting it out for the future. That’s also why Borana is a member of the Long Run, a group of like-minded people and organisations from around the world dedicated to coming together for change.
It’s clear, too, that Borana is putting its money where its mouth is. They provide a mobile clinic that covers over 2000 kilometres a month, focusing on family planning, immunisations and nutritional screening in rural areas and ensuring that the local communities are supported and empowered as best as possible. All staff received all of their pay throughout COVID (unlike much of the African safari industry) and a significant percentage of revenue is spent on the things that matter: wildlife and habitat protection, education and healthcare. In fact, Borana Lodge is run as a not for profit organisation, somewhere that works with and for the communities around it for a better future.
It’s a future that looks bright: Lawrence, already clocking in with over a decade’s experience, has no plans on leaving, the lodge is constantly being improved and the education programme is going from strength the strength. When, at the end of our chat, I ask Lawrence where he sees his beloved Borana in the future, his reply is a simple one: ‘at another level’.