Weather and Climate of Saiwa Swamp National Park: Saiwa Swamp National Park is Kenya’s smallest national park. It basically protects a swamp fed by the Saiwa River, which provides shelter for a viable population of the rare sitatunga antelopes. There are several observation towers overlooking the swamp, and with some patience, sightings are guaranteed. The park is only accessible on foot. One of the famous attractions of the park is the semi-aquatic sitatunga antelope. Other herbivores are boho reedbuck, defassa waterbuck, and bushbuck. Several primate species were spotted in the canopy. The black-and-white colobus and blue monkeys are common along the trail, and vervet monkeys are often found near the entrance. You might come across the very rare de Brazza’s monkey along the swamp’s edge.
The park is widely encompassed by the reed-choked Saiwa Swamp fed by the river with the same name. Around the swamp are several walking trails passing through riverine forests and savanna woodland dotted with acacia trees.
Saiwa Swamp National Park has a warm and humid climate with plenty of rain. Because it is close to the equator, the temperatures stay fairly steady. In the afternoons, it usually hovers around 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit), but at night, it cools down to about 12 degrees Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit). While rain falls throughout the year, there’s a noticeable Wet season that brings heavy rains from April to November.
Saiwa Swamp can be visited year-round. This is a high rainfall area, but December to March is quite dry, and there are a lot of sunny days. April to August is very wet, and rain might interfere with planned activities in the park.
Dry Season–December to March
In December and January, the weather is typically dry, but you might still see some rain from time to time. Most days are bright and sunny.
February and March
In February, the rain typically starts to increase and continues to get heavier into March. However, there are still plenty of sunny days to enjoy.
Wet Season–April to November
April, May, June, July and August
From April to August, we experience a stretch of time filled with heavy rainfall. During these months, many days are cloudy, and it’s not unusual for it to rain throughout the entire day. This can lead to poor road conditions, making travel more difficult.
September, October, and November
In September, the amount of rain starts to drop a bit. While it’s still possible to have stretches of rainy days, you’ll also find plenty of sunny days mixed in.
Getting to Saiwa Swamp National Park
Saiwa Swamp National Park is about 385 kilometers (239 miles) from Nairobi and 27 kilometers (16 miles) from Kitale. While Kitale does have a small airport called Kitale Airport, most visitors usually get to Saiwa Swamp by taking a safari in a 4WD vehicle through Western Kenya.
Nairobi serves as a key travel point, with most international travelers arriving there from Europe or North America. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, located just 15 kilometers (9 miles) southeast of the city, is the main airport. There’s also Moi International Airport, which is about 9 kilometers (6 miles) west of Mombasa, serving as Kenya’s second international airport.
