Devil’s garden purifies Coast waters

By Harold Ayodo

The expansive field that looks like it has been freshly ploughed with a tractor is one of the biggest attractions at the Tsavo West National Park.

More than two centuries ago the earth in Tsavo West National Park opened and lava spewed out like a burning river. The Maasai still recount the fight that two fire devils apparently had and their blazing tails that melted the earth.

But geologists say Shetani, a black lava flow 8km long, 1.6 km wide and five metres deep, is the remains of volcanic eruptions. Nearly 400 volcanic vents have been identified where the lava is believed to have flowed from Chyulu Hills. Volcanic vents are openings in Earth’s crust where molten lava and volcanic gases escape onto the land surface or into the atmosphere.

Chyulu Hills

Volcanic activity began 1.4 million years at Chyulu Hills, a volcanic mountain range with a mix of volcanic cones and barren lava flows.

Climbing the flow is not an easy task as the thick black soil is composed of uneven chunks of solid magma —molten rock. The magma is composed of elements like oxygen, silicon, aluminium, iron, magnesium, titanium, calcium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus.

Wild animals shy away from it because the brittle chunks hurt their hooves.

It may look like a farm ready for sowing but no plant has ever grown on it.

The dormant volcano is quite recent – in terms of geological time scale. "Studies show that the lava flow left a trail of destruction sweeping away a whole villages," says Tsavo West National Park senior warden Daniel Woodley.

But locals are convinced the most photographed scenery by tourists to the game reserve is the devil’s garden.

Mr Paul Wambua, 92, claims his grandfathers witnessed the titanic battle. "The devils erupted like fire from the hills and went up in the air before returning to earth burning every thing on its trail," Wambua says.

He says locals who climb the hills never return.

He believes the devil frequently ploughs the expansive garden but locals have no explanation why he never plants anything. "You cannot know the ways of the devil as it is even taboo to talk about what goes on in the garden that killed our ancestors," Wambua says.

Woodley believes he superstitions intensified in the early 1900 after missionaries disappeared in the craters. "Two German missionaries and local guides went up the hills in search of the volcanic activity but never returned," Woodley says.

According to geologists, Shetani Lava Flow is an asset that purifies water from the Mzima Springs which supplies water to Mombasa town.

windy days

Volcanic ash underneath the lava purifies underground water by reducing concentration of parasites, bacteria, algae, viruses and fungi before ejection to the spring.

On windy days cooing sounds can be heard coming from the craters where the volcano erupted and locals believe villagers who disappeared are chatting.