Ruma National Park the only Terestial Park in the entire Nyanza Province , was initially established as the Lambwe Valley Game Reserve in 1966 and gazetted as a National Park in 1983 to protect its indigenous population of rare roan antelopes which exist nowhere else in Kenya. covers an area of 120 square kilometers. It is situated in Lambwe Valley in South Nyanza, 140 km from Kisumu, 10 km east of Lake Victoria and South West of Homa Bay and 425 km west of Nairobi. It lies on the flat floor of the Lambwe Valley, bordered by the kanyamwa escarpment to the south east, Gwassi Hills, Sumba hill and ruri hills to the north.It was renamed “Ruma” upon request of the local community. The area had been so named by one of Kenya’s most powerful wizard, the much feared Gor Mahia who lived around the park.Access is by two the Main Gate namely Kamato Gate and Nyatoto Gate. The park has a humid climate, the long rains falling April-June and the short rains falling October-December with annual rainfall of about 1200 – 1600mm. Oribi guest house is an ideal place to sleep with 3 bedrooms accommodating a maximum of 5 people with a full equipped kitchen.The park also have two campsites, namely Nyati campsite which is a special campsite and Fig tree campsite which is a public campsite and a backpacker’s haven. The park is adorned with land of rolling golden savanna dotted with picturesque acacias backed by dramatic hills and magnificent escarpment.It also has unique mosaic of riverine woodland and balanties trees,which provides an unspoiled world for game lovers, bird watchers, tranquility and peace for meditation, historians, campers, team building, picnic, sundowners and scenic beauty. The Park is an IBA area with over 400 species of birds recorded. It is renowned amongst ornithologists for its rare intra - African migrant, the blue swallow.other attraction includes Roan antelope, leopard, buffalo, hyena, Rothschild's giraffe, oribi, Jackson and lelwel hartebeest, impala, bohor reedbuck, serval cat, topi, baboons, vervet monkey, honey badgers, bush pig and many more.The park has the largest number of Rothschild giraffe in the world with 144 in total.
