Features

Marangu: The town of Mount Kilimanjaro

By: Elisha Mayallah

The lower slopes of the Mount Kilimanjaro at Marangu are heavily cultivated, in particular those to the south which receive plenty of rainfall. Elsewhere lower rainfall coupled with the porosity of the lava soils makes conditions less suitable for cultivation. The forest belt which completely encircles the mountain and extends from about 1800m. to 2900m. provides the best conditions for plant life. Above the forest belt the porous soils and lower rainfall result in much sparser vegetation with semi-desert conditions prevailing above 4000m.

To reach the township of the famous Chaga tribe, Marangu we covered a two-hour journey from Arusha. On our way, we saw, with disappointment, the effects of drought which has hit the whole country severely.

The scorching sun was shining over the dry trees of Arusha when we were preparing to drive to Marangu, the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, about 140 kilometres away. Mr. Thomas Lyimo, Director for Transkibo tours in Moshi and I made a decision to get away to see the fame of Marangu, a fortnight ago.

As we drove through Moshi, the town looked deserted. Being a Sunday, every one was in the village, we were told. We stopped by at the famous bar in Moshi – the Bambuu, just to buy some few soft drinks and stretch out.

As we were slowly entering Marangu, a green landscape with various trees and banana plantations appeared, which nicely lined the road leading to Marangu Mtoni. The cultivated belt contains many smallhold (shambas) where bananas and various vegetables are grown. The area is also suitable for coffee and there are several major plantations. It is an area where we started seeing posh and sizeable houses fenced by green trees trimmed in one size.

According to Mr. Lyimo it is believed that the Chaggas who live on the fertile volcanic soils around the base of the mountain probably only came to the area about 300 years ago. Kilimanjaro has always given the Chagga a distinct identity, a precise sense of place, as well as shelter and nourishment.

The Chaggas are known to have fought among themselves and the Germans. But by being intelligent, shrewd and adaptable people the Chaggas soon realized that resistance, in the end would be meaningless, they gave in to the Germans and later British colonial cultures without sacrificing much of their own.

Lying just south of the equator Marangu is affected by the passage of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, which brings with it the main rainy periods. The highest rainfall occurs between mid March and early May, and slightly less between the beginning of November and late December. Maximum rainfall occurs in the forest belt and on the south side of the mountain where it reaches 2000mm. per year. Precipitation on the summit is about 100mm. per year; this coupled with the very porous ash soils results in the Saddle being considered a high altitude desert. Rain and, higher up, snow, can however be encountered at any time of year – even in the driest periods (January, February and September).

Normally the drier seasons are associated with clear, dry weather which can last for weeks on end. The best weather is generally encountered in the mornings, and convectional rainfall, if any, tends to come in midafternoon. After long periods of dry weather some of the higher streams dry up.

Temperatures vary considerably with height and time of day. On the plains surrounding Kilimanjaro the average temperature is about 30ºC. At 3000m. frosts can be encountered at night while daytime temperatures range from 5 to 15ºC. Night-time temperatures on the summit can be well below freezing.

Marangu boasts of good hotels and lodges – Nakara hotel, Capricon hotel, Kilimani hotel, Kibo hotel, Babylon lodge, Ashanti lodge and Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort which make the area a beehive of activity during weekends, public holidays and during the tourist season. According to Mr. Thomas Lyimo there are many more projects of expansion and new lodges and hotels being built around Marangu and soon Marangu will be the talk of the town!