Ruma National Park is situated in Western Kenya, near Lake Victoria’s shores, nestled within the Lambwe River Valley. Encircled by the Kanyamwa Escarpment to the Southeast and the volcanic plugs of the Ruri Hills to the North, it occupies a slender strip of land resembling a fist-shaped peninsula reaching into Lake Victoria. The landscape comprises mainly rolling grasslands interspersed with open woodland thickets.
Location
The park is accessible from two gates, the Main Gate (Kamato Gate) and Nyatoto Gate. The main gate is 42km from Homa Bay at Mirogi. Kamato Main gate is at a distance of 12km on a murram road from Mirogi
Wildlife
Ruma National Park is renowned as the final sanctuary for the Roan Antelope, one of Africa’s rarest and Kenya’s third largest antelope species, locally known as Korongo in Swahili. With its large size and distinctive black and white facial markings reminiscent of a tribal mask, the Roan roams in herds of up to 20 individuals, led by a dominant bull.
The elegant Oribi Antelope, referred to as Taya in Swahili, boasts a small stature and features such as a bare black glandular patch beneath the ears, a short black-tipped tail, and black knee tufts. These antelopes typically form strong pair bonds or small social groups, favoring grasslands and dense undergrowth as their habitat.
It boasts an exceptional variety of birdlife, housing numerous rare species. Notably, it serves as the exclusive protected habitat in Kenya for the globally endangered blue swallow. This migrant bird, crucial for its survival in moist grasslands, travels from its breeding grounds in Southern Tanzania to Kenya around April, departing again in September. Other animals are:
- African leopard
- Roan antelope
- Eastern black rhinoceros
- Rothschild’s giraffe
- Cape buffalo
- Lelwel hartebeest
- Olive baboon
- Bohor reedbuck
- Hyena
- Serval
- Topi
- Honey badger
- Bushpig
- Vervet monkey
Park Entry and Charges
| Citizen | Resident | Non_resident | |
| Adult | Ksh.300 | Ksh.300 | 22 USD |
| Child | Ksh.125 | Ksh.125 | 13 USD |
Accommodation
Accommodation at Ruma National Park is grouped into:
Luxury:
- Mfangano Island Camp
- Rusinga Island Lodge
Mid-range:
- Ruma River Lodge
- Golden Rays Resort
Budget:
- ACK Guest House
- Oribi Guest House
- Hotel Twin Towers
- Oyugis Hill Breeze Hotel
- Ruma Tourist Lodge
- Hotel Hippo Buck
Camping:
- Nyati Campsite
Contacts
Landline: 0203529119
Email: rumastn@kws.go.ke
