By Nzilani Muthio

On Saturday July 29, The Dean’s Resident Advisory Board (DRAB) organized a day trip to Oloolua Nature Trail that was attended by both the residents, non-residents and two staff members from the USIU-Africa Housing office. Oloolua is an indigenous tropical forest in the suburbs of Karen. The objective of the trip was to unwind from a busy school schedule and have a weekend escape in the woods right before exams.

We began our adventure at Oloolua with the help of a tour guide who not only guided us throughout the hike but also explained the important history of the forest. Our first stop on the 5km trail was the watchtower, which was used by researchers to observe a Crowned Eagle that lived in the forest. The hike included a visit to a waterfall in the forest which drains into the Mbagathi River. How relaxing the sound of the waterfall was!

Our next stop was the papyrus swamp on our way to the 37m long cave. The cave is said to have housed the Mau Mau fighters during the colonial era. We were only allowed to go 17m in the cave, as beyond that, the cave was inhabited by nocturnal animals, hyenas, and snakes.

After trailing through the bushes and our feet burning after the 5km walk, we assembled at the picnic site for lunch, where we played games and socialized with each other, while others enjoyed bike rides along the forest trails.

This fantastic day was made possible by the newly elected DRAB leaders- Evelyn Mmabila Angel Musomba, Nzilani Muthio, Imani Naitore, Moses Mayen, the USIU-Africa Housing office under Mr. Geoffrey Owino, and of course the students who attended the trip.