President William Ruto praised Kenya's wildlife on Friday, May 5, while hosting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The head of state spoke of the Baboon Parliament, in Mount Suswa, where a group of animals gather to debate.
Stunned to the core, the German Chancellor joined the rest of the delegates in laughter, punctuated with intermittent silence in a bid for the audience to pay attention to the free-flowing story.
"You will be pleased to know that we have the only Baboon Parliament. There is a place here in Kenya where baboons meet to deliberate on issues affecting their lives," Ruto stated.
The Head of State expressed confidence that should Germans decide to visit the tourist attraction site, they would most likely find baboons debating at their August House.
"If you had enough time, I'd have taken you to witness baboons having a debate in their Parliament," Ruto claimed.
Baboon Parliament is a popular local folk legend circulated throughout the country for many years.
According to the folk legend, a group of baboons in Mount Suswa were observed sitting on rocks in a formation that resembled a human parliament.
The story goes that the baboons would sit in the same formation every day, and one baboon would stand up and make loud noises while the others listened attentively.
The baboons would then appear to engage in some form of decision-making process before dispersing.
While no documented scientific studies on this phenomenon have ever been traced, the story is popular among tourists visiting the Suswa area.
The folk legend of the Baboon Parliament is often used as a metaphor for the need for good governance and responsible decision-making in societies.
In the context of President Ruto's speech, the Head of State was technically marketing Kenya's tourism sector to foreigners, especially the Germans.
German tourists visit Kenya for various reasons, from national parks like Maasai Mara, Amboseli, and Tsavo, which offer some of Africa's best wildlife viewing experiences, to the beautiful coastal beaches.
In recent years, cultural tourism has also become increasingly popular among German tourists. Kenya has a rich and diverse culture, and visitors can learn about the traditions and way of life of the various communities in the country through homestays, cultural tours, and festivals.
