Originally, Rondo was owned by a sawmiller who, in 1948, built a house at his wife’s request at the base of what was thought to be the biggest tree in the Forest, an Elgon Olive, the stump of which still stands today. The sawmiller left Kenya in 1961, leaving the property to the Christian Council of Kenya. Rondo officially came into the hands of the Trinity Fellowship in 1966 which was headed by the Reverend and Mrs. Cuthbert (Cubby) and Mathilde (Thilde) Dawkins. The Trinity Fellowship first used Rondo as a youth centre and orphanage. It was also the setting for the filming of “The Kitchen Toto”. Rondo has facilitated serious research such as that undertaken by the Kenya Indigenous Forest Conservation Project (KIFCON) and the Kenya Wildlife Service, resulting in their book, “Kakamega Forest, The Official Guide”. There is even a picture of Rondo in it. However, it is no longer in print. ‘Touring With Turacos’ has taken its place and is available in the Rondo Curio Shop.

Today this peaceful place has been “opened to the public” and is run by the Reverend and Mrs. Godfrey and Elisabeth Dawkins. They invite you to take time from the rush of your busy life to come and contemplate – nature, yourself, the world, the work of God…

Funds and personnel permitting, Rondo related projects include: Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Eco-Tourism, and Regenerative Agro Forestry.