Mount Ololokwe
| Mount Ololokwe | |
|---|---|
| Ol Donyo Sabache | |
 Mount Ololokwe in 2020 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,970 m (6,460 ft) |
| Coordinates | 0°51′0″N 37°31′30″E / 0.85000°N 37.52500°E |
| Geography | |
| Location | Samburu County, Kenya |
Mount Ololokwe, also known as Ol Donyo Sabache, is a mountain in Samburu County, northern Kenya. Rising to approximately 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level, it is a prominent isolated, flat-topped mountain above the surrounding semi-arid plains.[1] The mountain is considered sacred by the Samburu people, who have used it as a shrine for prayers and rituals.[1] It is also a destination for hiking and trekking.[1]
Although widely referred to as Mount Ololokwe, the mountain is properly known as Ol Donyo Sabache, while Ololokwe is a name referring to the surrounding area that has also come to be widely applied to the mountain itself.[2] Ololokwe means "wide head" in the Samburu language, a reference to the mountain's broad, rounded upper profile.[3] Ol Donyo is a generic reference to a mountain name, and Sabache refers to the clasp of a traditional Samburu woman's necklace, with the mountain and two smaller neighboring peaks forming a horseshoe-shaped arrangement around the intervening valley.[4]
On 19 August 2026, a Eurocopter EC130 B4 operated by Lady Lori Helicopters crashed in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe while carrying tourists on a charter flight. All six passengers and the Kenyan pilot were killed.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 Mwacharo, John (3 April 2023). "KBA in Focus: Ol' Donyo Sabache". Nature Kenya. Archived from the original on 21 August 2026. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "Ol Donyo Sabache". Key Biodiversity Areas. Archived from the original on 6 April 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ Fox, Jan. "A night on Ololokwe". Wilder Magazine. Archived from the original on 20 August 2026. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "Must visit 5 sacred mountains in Kenya". Adventure and Expeditions. April 2022. Archived from the original on 21 August 2026. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ Komu, Nicholas (19 August 2026). "Safari helicopter crashes in northern Kenya, killing 7 people, including 5 Americans". Associated Press. Retrieved 20 August 2026.