Hell’s Gate Gorge in Naivasha faces closure throughout the El Niño rainy season.
KWS says visitors must avoid the Naivasha gorge throughout the rainy season because upstream rainfall can trigger deadly flash floods.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has closed Hell’s Gate Gorge in Naivasha throughout the El Niño rainy season. The agency says heavy rainfall increases the risk of flash floods that could trap visitors.
The restriction applies even when conditions inside the national park appear safe. Meanwhile, the Kenya Meteorological Service Authority expects the El Niño rains to continue into early next year.
Why Hell’s Gate Gorge faces flash flood risks
Floodwaters can reach the gorge even when no rain falls within the national park. Heavy downpours in surrounding highland areas send large volumes of water downstream through natural drainage channels.
These areas include Mount Longonot, Mai Mahiu, Nairobi, Kedong and Suswa. The runoff enters the narrow Ol Njorowa Gorge, where water levels can rise within minutes.
Because the gorge has steep rock walls and narrow passages, visitors have little room to escape. Powerful currents can therefore pose a danger despite apparently calm weather at the attraction itself.
KWS said it takes precautions during rainfall to prevent deaths, including when rain falls upstream rather than inside the park. Visitors must therefore avoid the gorge for the duration of the closure.
Previous floods claimed visitors’ lives
The safety measure follows earlier fatal floods inside the gorge during rainy seasons. In September 2019, floodwaters swept away a group of 13 visitors who were exploring the attraction.
Seven people died in that incident: five Kenyan tourists, a local tour guide and one foreign visitor. Rescue teams later recovered bodies downstream.
An earlier tragedy also claimed seven lives during an excursion in 2012. Those victims were youths from PCEA Mukarara Church in Dagoretti who had visited the gorge.
KWS cited the previous loss of life in explaining the precautionary closure. The agency says the restriction aims to protect tourists and other visitors during the rainy season.
