On a gently sloping hill in the heart of Migori County lies a series of curious stone structures that have been in existence for more than half a millennium. Walls made up of stones artfully laid on each other without the benefit of mortar or cement have stood for hundreds of years, telling us of a lost people that built up the area known as Thimlich Ohinga or the frightening dense forest of stone. This mysterious natural heritage site provides more questions than answers. Who were the people who built the structure? What do the concentric circles of walls mean? What technology did they use to build the curved walls that have stood for centuries? The mysteries are still being uncovered since the gazetting of Thimlich Ohinga almost forty years ago by the National Museums of Kenya.
Welcome to County 044, better known as Migori! This is where you will find the art of artisan gold-mining taking place. Painstaking, tedious, persistent, hope-filled work, prospectors toil day and night to find and isolate the treasures therein. It is said that somewhere near the site of Macalder’s Mines, the land yielded around 1 million ounces of gold between 1920 and 1950 but a few pieces may have escaped the mine and are still prospected today. From the mining basin one can visit Gogo Falls with its hydroelectric power plant currently run by KenGen. The plant was commissioned in 1957 mainly to supply power to the Macalder Mine. It is located about 45km from Migori town, sits on River Kuja and the surrounding Kuja Basin is at an altitude of about 1220m in an area of gentle undulating topography. From the area overlooking the small dam, one can enjoy the spectacular view of the highlands in the region, as well as the sheer drop of the waters at the site.
Those who love their history will remember that time in 2009 when Kenya and Uganda almost came to blows over a tiny island in Lake Victoria. Its name? Migingo, and technically (now that we’ve agreed that the island belongs to 254 and not 256!) it sits in Migori County. The most densely inhabited piece of land in the country, Migingo is literally covered in structures and from its landing point fishermen set out each day to bring in spectacular catches of Nile perch from the surrounding waters.
Need some fish, some history or some precious metals? Now you know where to find all three!
