Webuye Falls

The Nzoia river drops over a rock shelf at Nabuyole just below Webuye, spreading into channels and chutes rather than a single fall, with the water forcing through gaps in the black rock and pooling below. The site is well known in western Kenya and carries local legends about the rocks and the spirits of the river, and it has been used for a small hydroelectric scheme. It is a working landscape rather than a protected one: farms come down to the banks, the Webuye industrial area is nearby, and the river carries the effects of both, so the water is not clean. Local guides show visitors the viewpoints and the paths down to the rocks. The falls are at their most impressive after the rains, when the whole shelf runs and the noise carries.

The landscape

• The rock channels - water forcing through gaps in the black shelf.
• The main drop - the broad cascade below the viewpoint.
• River pools - deep water below the falls.
• The farmed banks - smallholdings running down to the river.

When to go

After the rains, April to June and October to December, when the river is high; in dry months the flow reduces considerably. Mornings are best for light and for avoiding the heat of the lower ground.

Things to know

The river is polluted from upstream industry and settlement, so this is a place to look at rather than swim in. Paths to the rocks are slippery and unfenced with real drops. There are no facilities and guides expect payment agreed in advance.

Nearby

Kakamega Forest lies south; Bungoma and the Ugandan border road run west.