Anxiety as hiker plunges inside Mt Longonot Crater
Rift Valley
By
Antony Gitonga
| Dec 03, 2025
Operations at the world-renowned Mt Longonot national park in Naivasha were temporarily paralyzed after a local tourist plunged inside the crate while hiking.
The hiker who was in the company of his colleagues landed on the edge of a rock fracturing his left leg as KWS moved to rescue him.
For over twenty-four hours, the victim slept inside the crate before concerted efforts by KWS, Kenya Redcross and Nakuru fire brigade saw him rescued.
Trouble started on Sunday when the middle-aged man identified as Bildad Simiyu slipped while walking around the rim of the crater and crushed tens of meters inside.
According to a witness James Mwai who was also hiking, a hanging rock came to the rescue of the man stopping him from crushing into the crater that is over 750m deep.
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He added that due to the nature of the crater, it was impossible for fellow hikers to come to assist the victim in climbing up, forcing KWS personnel to intervene.
“He is lucky that he did not crash all the way into the crater but it took KWS over twenty four hours to come to his rescue,” he said.
In a statement, KWS confirmed that they had managed to rescue the hiker and taken him to Naivasha sub-county hospital with a fractured leg but in stable condition.
KWS termed the rescue operations as very tricky and dangerous due to the terrain of the crater and the injuries that the hiker had received.
“As darkness fell and extraction became risky, our KWS team stayed with the victim throughout the night until the following morning when he was rescued and taken to hospital,” read the statement in part.
Meanwhile, the rising waters of Lake Naivasha have continued to displace more wildlife after flooding their pasture grounds and habitats.
According to the chairman of Friends of Lake Naivasha, Francis Muthui, tens of wild animals, mainly hippos, had strayed onto the Moi South Lake road exposing motorists to danger.
“KWS should come up with a way of dealing with hippos which have invaded the flooded Kihoto estate and nearby roads as they pose a danger to residents,” he said.
He noted that a mere 20 percent of wild animals were located inside Hellsgate and Mt Longonot national parks in Naivasha with the rest in conservancies and on private land.
“We have seen the number of wild animals in Naivasha rise sharply and the ongoing relocation exercise comes in handy and KWS should target buffaloes in the next phase,” he said.
Muthui added that the number of accidents involving wild animals had soared with motorists plying the Moi South Lake road and Nairobi-Nakuru highway being the most affected.