Tensions are building here in the Laikipia Plateau, at the base of Mt. Kenya. People are arguing over land for farming and ranching. Farmers are in conflict with animals that eat their crops. Different animal species, like lions and cattle, aren t getting along either. But tensions are nothing new in the Rift Valley.
Tensions are, in a very real sense, a part of the landscape.
The Rift Valley is a result of tension between large plates in the earth. Movements in these plates cause the natural disasters that have plagued the valley throughout history. The plates of earth that make the rift are still moving. Any of the active volcanoes here could erupt tomorrow. Kenya has experienced so much volcanic activity that in some places there is a layer of volcanic ash 9,000 feet deep.