Ruma National Park is the only Terestial Park in the entire Nyanza Province. It was initially established as the Lambwe Valley Game Reserve in 1966 to protect its indigenous population of rare roan antelopes which exist nowhere else in Kenya. In 1983 it was gazetted as a National Park. Namely Ruma N. Park

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. The park is largely of black cotton soil with surrounding area settled with a mix of small scale cultivation and grassy pasture land.

Location

The Park lies in Western Kenya close to the shores of Africa’s largest inland lake, Lake Victoria. 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.

The Park covers an area of 120 square kilometers.

CLIMATE

Hot and humid, mean annual rainfall is 1200 – 1600mm. The park has a humid climate, the long rains falling April-June and the short rains falling October-December

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

Roan antelope which is found nowhere else in the country.

Wildlife – Roan antelope, black rhinos,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.

Birds – 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.

The Park provides an unspoiled world for game lovers, bird watchers, tranquility and peace for meditation, historians, campers, team building, picnic, sundowners and scenic beauty.

Activities

Game viewing, bird watching, picnic, camping, team building, meditation, sight seeing, sundowner.

Vegetation

The Park is a classic image of East Africa with a 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.