Saiwa Swamp National Park
Overview
Kenya Parks
Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of many guidebooks to African destinations, including the DK Eyewitness Guide to Kenya.
Saiwa Swamp National Park is the best place in Kenya to see two very localized mammals: the semi-aquatic sitatunga antelope and the handsome de Brazza’s monkey. Despite being the country’s smallest national park, it also hosts a remarkably diverse birdlife that includes many colorful rarities. The long, narrow swamp is fringed by forest and overlooked by several stilted viewing platforms. The park is accessible by road but can only be explored on foot.
Pros & Cons
Wildlife
The star attraction of the park is the semi-aquatic sitatunga antelope. With some patience, sightings of the female are almost guaranteed, but the larger and more striking male can be less obliging. Other mammals include bushbuck, African clawless otter, spotted-necked otter, black-and-white colobus and vervet monkey. Saiwa Swamp is the only place in East Africa where you stand a good chance of seeing de Brazza’s monkey, a species associated with forested swamp edges.
Scenery
Most of the park is taken up by the reed-choked Saiwa Swamp. This is fed by the Sinyerere and Kapenguria Rivers, whose flow has diminished in recent years due to agriculture upstream and the planting of water-draining eucalyptus trees. The swamp is fringed by a band of lush riverine forest, while savannah woodland dotted with acacia trees can be found farther from the water.
Activities
A network of signposted walking trails connects the entrance gate to several stilted viewing platforms overlooking the swamp. Guided walks are available, but you can also explore without a guide. The campsite is as good a place as any to look for sitatunga antelope and de Brazza’s monkey. Other monkeys and a variety of forest birds can often be seen along the short road between the entrance gate and the campsite.
Weather & Climate
As Saiwa Swamp is situated near the equator, there’s little variation in temperature throughout the year. The main influences on the weather are the area’s distinctive seasons. The Dry season (December to March) has lots of sunshine-filled days, though rain is still a possibility on most days. The Wet season (April to November) sees a lot of rain falling, often for days at a time.
Best Time To Visit
You can visit Saiwa Swamp at any time of year, but you’ll probably appreciate the environment more in the Dry season (December to March). This is also when migratory birds are passing through (November to April) and when offspring of the local sitatunga antelope appear. Occasional heavy rainstorms are to be expected over April to August.
