Sameta Hill

Hiking Trails in Kisii

Sameta Hill: Great Hiking Prospects

There are many spectacular hiking hills around Kisii County that offer breathtaking views, unique landscapes, and varying levels of difficulty. Any of the prominent hills around the county has potential to offer a range of experiences, from easy walks to challenging climbs, each providing spectacular scenery and a connection with nature. In spite of this, hiking is not a sought-after activity in these neck of the woods – it is a way life! For all the beautiful hills there are, in county typified by a scarped topography with many ridges and valleys, hiking for leisure in primordial.

If the above was not a stark disincentive, the hills in and around Kisii County are made use of as farmland, many up to the upper reaches, with the ever-growing demand for land and population time bomb. However, all is not lost on the hiker visiting the region. Indeed, the new wave of hiking for leisure, growing resolutely elsewhere in Kenya, is slowly making a soft landing in Kisii County, too. The target for the avid hikers to Kisii is principally at the hills of Sameta (1970m), Nyamasibi (2170m), Kiong’anyo (1710m) and Kiamwasi (1785m). Minor hills with potential for hiking include; Kiongongi, Kiombeta, Sombogo, Nyanchwa and Kegochi hills.

The predilection by hikers to Sameta Hill is its easy accessibility from the central district of Kisii. Sameta Hill lies just 2 km away, southerly heading along the main B3 Kisii-Keroka Road for 1 km, then westward towards Kisii Agricultural Training Center for another 1 km. Sameta Hill has a moderate inline, with a firm underfoot, and can be rated as an easy hike. It takes less than an hour to the top, where a clearing with grass and trees for shade provides an apt picnic site. The drawback is that the trail is undeveloped, and involves passing through private farmlands.

Yet, for all the difficulties of wandering around and tracking the right trail to get you to the top, Sameta Hill, at best, has unobstructed breathtaking view of the countryside. It is safe, enjoyable and memorable – especially in the company of local guides. For the optimist at heart, the lack of markers and signs that provide direction, distances, and information about the trail, ups the element of surprise. Contrariwise, the lack of consistent and visible trail markers, to prevent hikers from getting lost, makes it vague and inaccessible to many would be avid hikers.

Hiking in Kenya offers a diverse range of landscapes and trails, from lush forests to arid deserts, and from high-altitude mountains to scenic coastal paths. The apex hiking trail in Kenya is Mount Kenya, Africa’s second-highest peak. There are eight hiking routes about it, the most popular of these being Sirimon and Chogoria.

Index of Hiking Trails Around Kenya



Elgeyo Marakwet - Kessup Falls, Torok Falls, Embu County - Kirimiri Forest & Nthenge Njeru Falls, Irangi Trail (Mount Kenya), Homa Bay County - Homa Hills, Mount Kwitutu, Kajiado County - Ngong Hills, Mount Olorgesailie, Mount Suswa, Nguruman-Entasopia Falls, Ol Doinyo Orok, Mount Kilimanjaro, Kakamega County - Kambiri Hill, Kiambu County - Gatamaiyu Camp, Kirinyaga County - Kamuruana Hill, Kamweti Route, Kisii County - Sameta Hill, Machakos County - Ol Donyo Sabuk, Kanzalu Range, Lukenya Hills, Kiima Kimwe, Makueni County - Nzaui Range, Mbooni Hills, The Kenze Gorges, Meru County - Kaithandu Hill, Sirimon Route, Chogoria Route, Themwe Route, Marania Route, Nairobi County - Ololua Forest Trail, Karura Forest, Nakuru County - Mount Longonot, Eburru, Table Mountain, The Sleeping Warrior, Nandi County - Ngabunat Cave, Nyandarua County - Kijabe Hills, Ragia Forest Trail, Elephant Hill, Rurimeria Hill Trail, Satima Trail Aberdare Range, The Table Mountain, Kinangop Hill, Nyeri County - Njigari Forest Trail, Samburu County - Mount Ololokwe, Mount Poi, Taita Taveta County - Vuria Hill, Trans Nzoia County - Wagagai Peak, Koitoboss Peak - Mount Elgon Park

Kisii County is a vibrant region with a strong agrarian base, rich cultural heritage, and a growing economy. Continued development in infrastructure, with smooth blacktop connecting major towns and rural areas, has made it accessible from all directions. Kisii County’s scenic hills, waterfalls, cottage industries and modern hotels offer opportunities for visiting a region erstwhile relegated as agrarian.