Lake Elmenteita

Lake Elmenteita, also spelled Elementaita, is a soda lake, in the Great Rift Valley, about 120 km northwest of Nairobi, Kenya.

Geography

Elmenteita is derived from the Masaai word muteita, meaning "dust place", a reference to the dryness and dustyness of the area, especially between January and March. The town of Gilgil is near the lake. In the south-to-north sequence of Rift Valley lakes, Elmenteita is between Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru. The major Nairobi-Nakuru highway (A104 Road) runs along the nearby escarpment affording motorists a spectacular vista towards the lake.Today the lake is a protected area due to its birdlife fame and also it has been named as one of the heritage sites together with the Lake Nakuru and Lake Bogoria by UNESCO.

At the southern end of the lake are the "Kekopey" hot springs, in which the Tilapia grahami breed. Very popular for bathing, the local Maasai claim that it can cure AIDS. The reed beds nearby are fishing grounds for night herons and pelicans.