Hell’s Gate National Park

For three years, the Kijani festival held performances in Hell’s Gate National Park. Following the performances, Kijani donated money to the park which they used to install a new water system to benefit the wildlife.

Hell's Gate irrigation channel

Hell’s Gate had an ongoing water problem. The park gets water from the local water body, but the service was unreliable and becoming more and more expensive. Also, in that area, there is no natural water beyond Lake Naivasha and the soil is too permeable to make good dams, even in times of sufficient rains. Without a steady supply of water to keep the animals within the park they wander (as the park is unfenced and backs onto a huge ranch) into cultivated areas where they are often killed or are ‘harvested’ for the illegal ‘bush meat’ trade. Thus having accessible water for the grazing animals in the park increases the number of animals safe from harm from humans and decreases human/animal conflicts.

The twin rock spires of Hell's Gate

After the first performance, Hell’s Gate’s Management Committee used the money they received from Kijani to purchase a new water bowser, which they named Carmen (after the opera), and a second-hand tractor to pull ‘Carmen’. Using money raised from the operas Don Giovanni and Porgy and Bess, the Park installed piping for a water system. A neighbouring flower farm has generously allowed the park to access water from their borehole. Today, Hell’s Gate has a reliable source of free water to fill up the watering holes frequented by grazing wildlife in the area.