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“Daddy, will you take me to the hill this weekend?” That’s a question I get every time we are driving from the house towards town with my daughter in the car. Part of the road from our house has a spectacular view of the majestic Riat Hills, in Kisumu. Since my first visit with her to Suzanne Owiyo Cultural Center some time in December 2020, it’s automatically become her favorite place in the city.
When my answer is to the affirmative she would quickly add “can we go with my friends too, please please daddy?” She will then look at me with those sweet four-year-old eyes that are so hard to resist. Her friends in this case are her cousins – it’s indeed true that cousins are the first friends we make.
Nadia loves this place mostly because she gets to enjoy jumping on the trampoline. She can do that all afternoon with little breaks to sip on her soda, to snack or a quick photo session with daddy. The facility has amazing views of the city’s skyline, the view of the lake from up here is spectacular. For her watching planes land and take off from Kisumu International Airport is usually one of the highlights of the visit.
A service fee of Sh. 200 is charged to access the grounds on weekends. The property with manicured lawns are perfect for picnics, or just unwinding after a hectic weekend with friends with the family. You can carry your own food and drinks to the grounds at no extra cost, or even cook your own meals at the site. You can also buy snacks and an assortment of soft and hard drinks on site. The service charge guarantees you plastic seats and a table, but it’s always a good idea to carry picnic seats during busy weekends.
“The Hill” as my daughter likes to call it also has private grounds that can be hired out for corporate or private events like weddings, parties or even concerts. The property is located near Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology (Riat College) on Kisumu – Kakamega Road and is easy to navigate to via Google Maps.
Next time you are looking for a place to unwind on a weekend, why dont you try out “The Hill.”
