Joseph Thomson a young British explorer embarked on his East African exploratory expedition journey from the sea port of Mombasa in 1883. He penetrated through Maasai County; a land much feared by early visitors and scouted part of the Central Great Rift Valley especially the LONGONOTS and the HELLS GATE. At Ol’Kalou, a Maasai resting and watering place for their large herds of cattle from NAROK enroute to Laikipia in search of pastures and vice-versa the young explorer rested for a night.

Ahead of him was the final destination, the last leg of his journey and which was to climax on the discovery of Ewaso Nyiro River, a big falls and which he named after himself. Eventually he came to the river’s Cul-desac; the beautiful and scenic Lorian Swamp.

At Ol’Kalou where he rested for the night that April day afternoon the full beauty of Nyandarua Mountainous Ranges under the full glare of the evening rays hit him back with a deep impression. For more than 100 kilometres he could see cascading streams with their silvery glitter, a scene that was not only captivating but entirely mesmerized the young explorer.

From his ancient notebook, thread bare as it was, he scribbled the date, the day, and beneath he underlined and wrote in sprawling letters:- “Lord Aberdare ranges” in honour and memory of his mentor.

Little did he know that a century down the line the name he gave to the mountainous ranges would survive the Africanization of all foreign names after the country’s independent in 1960’s. The name has since been upheld by the fathers of Kenyans Independence.

Nor did the young explorer realize that Lord Aberdare Ranges would one day be set aside as a national park of international repute and the home of the big five.

Little else did he know that the rolling grass plains touching the foothold of the Aberdare ranges would become a much sought after settlement of British aristocrats in what was to be known in the early 20^th Century as the happy valley.

Nor did he have the barest idea that where he stood on his two feet a legend would grow and the locals would immortalize his stopover with the famous Thomson Dove.

THE LEGEND

That night as the young explorer rested his tired limbs before a camp fire surrounded by his Swahili potters and a battery of spears in the hands of Maasai Warriors, the news that a white man had come in the locality spread like a bush-fire. Early the following day the entire community led by their chief and their famous medicine man – Mugo Wakibiru came to the scene; but to their consternation where the explorer had stood the previous evening, there stood a giant rock that resembled a turtle dove.

Nobody had a recollection of seeing that rock before.

The medicine man solved the puzzle and told them that the Whiteman was a messenger of peace from a great queen across many waters. The ancestral spirits had approved.

It was the White man’s calling card.