Kericho to Sondu: A Scenic Road Trip Via Kapkornom in Pictures

This is a pictorial recap of my trip from Kericho town to Kapkornom in Soi sub-county, and wow—and let me tell you, what a ride! The route is lush and scenic, with endless stretches of green that feel almost untouched. It gave me similar vibes to my Nyeri-Naivasha road trip, but this time with up-close views of the rolling terrain and more greenery (including sweeping tea plantations along the Chabera-Ikonge route)

The real standout? The West Valley Sugar factory, owned by the Kipchimchim Group (yep, the same folks behind Kipchimatt Supermarket). One of their 13 stores has even made a cameo in the slideshow below. Things are really looking up for the area.

Kapsoit to Sondu

From Kapkornom, we hit the road to Sondu. We passed through towns like Kapsoit, Sosiot, and Kiptere, each stretch as green and gorgeous as the last. Kapsoit, by the way, is a charming little town along the Kisumu road, about 11 kilometers from Kericho town. The landscapes just kept delivering!

We meant to take a detour to Magwagwa once we reached Sondu, but in true road trip fashion, plans changed. Instead, we found ourselves cruising a few extra kilometers toward Kisumu. Meanwhile, the sky was putting on its show—thick, moody rain clouds rolling in like they had a plot twist planned. And oh, they did!

Sondu-Ikonge-Kericho Town

On getting back to Sondu, we took the route toward Kapsuser, winding through Chabera, Magwagwa, and Ikonge. Just before you hit Chabera, there’s this junction where the road branches off to Oyugis and Kisii. The Kisii trip is a whole story on its own (coming soon, promise!). For this journey, we stuck to the Ikonge route…and certainly, it delivered. Think rolling hills, winding roads, a massive river cutting through the landscape, and that peaceful countryside vibe that never gets old.

Remember those heavy clouds I mentioned earlier? Well, they didn’t just hang around for dramatic effect. First, they dulled the beauty of some seriously scenic spots, washing out what could’ve been perfect shots. Then came the real follow-through: rain. It poured nonstop from the River Nyando bridge all the way to Kericho town, turning the rest of the trip into a misty blur.

But here’s the silver lining: we got to revisit that stunning Ikonge stretch during our Kericho-Kisii trip later on—and wow, what a difference the sun makes! This time, the Sunday afternoon sun was out in full glow, lighting up the landscape and making everything look “photogenic” and even more breathtaking. Some of the pictures from that sunlit trip are featured here to make up for the moodier, cloud-covered shots from the Sondu-Ikonge leg. Trust me, it was worth the second take.

Ezekiel Maina

Ezekiel Maina is the brains behind ContentGenics, where he pairs creativity and strategy for B2B and B2C content. He has written for brands like House Digest, iFoundries, and BeamJobs, covering topics like home improvement, real estate, freelancing, digital marketing, and career development. By day, he’s crafting content or catching up with clients from his home office, lost in a good book, or occasionally chasing adventure outside. By late evening, he’s typically deep in a documentary rabbit hole on Netflix or YouTube.