Constitution deposited at top of Mt Kenya

By Job Weru

Celebrations rocked Mt Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa, after a group of tourism and conservation stakeholders climbed the mountain and deposited a copy of the new Constitution there.

A team of 27 hikers, among them Kenya Wildlife Service officers and the media, started off the journey at 4am to place the document at Point Lenana, the third highest peak, at 4,985m above sea level.

However, two hikers could not make the seven-kilometre trek uphill. They had to go back to Shiptons camp on Thursday night.

About 40 hikers were on a mission to install the new law in an event organised by the Mt Kenya Tourism Circuit.

However, plans to have the event conducted concurrently with the national celebrations at Uhuru Park in Nairobi failed after bad weather forced the hikers to conduct the ceremony prematurely.

Simon Wachira, the Mt Kenya Tourism Circuit CEO and Mt Kenya National Park KWS officer in charge of tourism and rescue Simon Gitau, led the hikers in installing the law shortly after 8am amid heavy storm.

The bad weather also affected hoisting of the national flag at Batian Peak (5,199m), the highest point in the mountain.

Gitau, who was to lead the flag hoisting team comprising KWS mountain rescue team, said the flag would be hoisted at Batian when the weather improves.

"We cannot risk the lives of hikers. The weather is too bad and we will have to wait for a better day," said Gitau.

The flag was, however, hoisted ceremoniously at Lenana alongside the new Constitution.

Speaking after the event, Wachira said the installation was aimed at boosting national cohesion and integration.

"We want all communities to be proud of the mountain as our national flagship symbol," said Wachira.

He added that the installation would help attract more tourists to the mountain.

Gitau said Kenyans should be proud of the mountain and endeavor to hike it since Kenya was named after the feature.