A woman going home after shopping. Passengers carrying chicken are a common sight on DRC’s domestic flights. Photo/FILE
One of the most hilarious, but true, stories told about flying from Kisangani to Lubumbashi, two cities separated by a road-less jungle in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is about passenger clutching chicken, goats and dried fish especially on market days.
Standing passengers squat during takeoff and repeat the ritual when landing.
For those who were (un)lucky to use matatus before Michuki rules were effected, the story may ring a bell.
But for those who didn’t witness the pre-‘Michuki’ disorder, the story of congested matatus may sound like one tall tale. But it is not.
Back to the tale of the flying chicken. If you are dying to witness this spectacle, you don’t have to take the risk of venturing into the unstable central African country, for you might, if you are lucky enough, get a re-enactment of the same on the Kenyan soil (sorry, airspace).
I had my lucky turn recently while travelling from Nairobi to Eldoret via Kisumu when I encountered an enthusiastic young man cradling a closed bamboo basket into the plane.
The basket was placed somewhere, at the back of the cabin.
Although curious, I couldn’t tell what was inside it until we had our stop-over at Kisumu Airport.
There, without the din of the roaring engine, I heard chicken clucking happily as they pecked the sidewalls of the bamboo enclosure.
A smell, of chicken droppings, which I had all along ignored, became more palpable.
An in-flight attendant smiled when she realised that I had discovered about the chicken cargo.
In a fleeting moment, I could not help but ponder about the potential benefits that tourism, and of course the airlines, could draw from the ‘flying chicken’.
Admittedly, domestic flights are some of the most enjoyable travel experiences locally.
While I am not a regular domestic flyer, with my experience in international travel, Kenya compares very well in terms of service delivery, efficiency and the smoothness of the flights.
However, some domestic airlines, unfortunately, withhold crucial information which sometimes makes it difficult for passengers to enjoy their flights, whether on holiday or business.
For example, one airline announced when we had already boarded the plane at Eldoret that it would have a stop-over in Kisumu to pick more passengers.
If the travellers had been given such information before hand, they some could have reconsidered their choice of flight or airline in order to save time.
But that’s beside the point, for there is much to enjoy in the course of a domestic flight.
For lucky holiday passengers, the smile starts right in the city when you get a chicken or even a goat as your fellow traveller.
You will be lucky because, this does not happen every day.
Then on take-off, the beholding sight of the expansive city with its forest of stone and metal structures makes more fodder for the eyes.
The journey over the Rift Valley is equally interesting, and offers a spectacular view of the escarpment, if the sky is clear.
But the excitement is not equalled by the feeling one gets just when about to land in Kisumu.
For first timers in particular, getting a view of the shimmering waters of Lake Victoria from the air offers so much satisfaction.
Visiting Kisumu city, especially the central business district, presents you with the usual buzz of the Kenyan towns, from hawkers selling all manner of wares and clothing to the aggressive boda boda taxis.
It also offers one the opportunity to shop in the quiet part of the city and also grab a cup of coffee at the Nakumatt City.
One can also make a quick visit can be made to the Kisumu Impala Sanctuary which occupies about 38 hectares and is only a kilometre away from the CBD.
According to the Magical Kenya website, the sanctuary was created to provide a home for threatened Impalas in Kisumu city and its environs.
It also provides a safe grazing area for hippos from Lake Victoria.
It lies close to Hippo Point and features 3 km of nature trails and a selection of picnic sites.
Being in Kisumu also gives one an opportunity to visit other Western Circuit tourism attractions.
Among them would definitely be the Saiwa Swamp National Park, the smallest park in Kenya, with an area of only the square kilometres.
It was established to protect the semi-aquatic sitatunga antelope and encloses the swamp fed by the Saiwa River together with its fringing belts of rain forest.
Major attractions there include game viewing; bird watching and trail walking.
The wildlife in the park include Sitatunga, monkeys, otter, genet, serval, mongoose and bushback.
There are over 372 species of birds including such rarities as Ross’ turaco and blue-headed coucal.
The park is 27 km north of Kitale on the Kitale- Lodwar tarmac road.
The flight from Kisumu to Eldoret, over the Kakamega Forest, is the shortest one can ever have; it takes only 15 minutes.
The forest lies in the Lake Victoria catchment, north of Kisumu and west of the Nandi Escarpment.
Source: Business Daily Africa
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