Il 2 gennaio scorso siamo entrati in Kenya attraverso la pista che poco fuori Omorate (Etiopia) porta ad Illeret (Kenya). La pista normalmente sabbiosa si era trasformata a causa delle forti piogge in un mare di acqua e fango, i guadi erano molto alti, siamo comunque arrivati ad Illeret prima del tramonto.
Sconsiglio quindi di fare questa pista in periodo di piogge.

Le formalità per l'uscita dall'Etiopia si espletano al posto di polizia di Omorate, sia per l'immigration che per lo sdoganamento dell'auto (noi non avevamo carnet ma un permesso temporaneo rilasciatoci a Metema).
Seguendo la pista si troverà prima il posto di controllo etiope, dove verificano il timbro sul passaporto, l'ingresso in Kenya ad Illeret dove si viene soltanto registrati su di un librone dalla polizia, non hanno timbri, le formalità vanno quindi espletate a Nairobi.

A Nairobi immigration presso S01.17.247 - E036.49.086 ufficio aliens. Poco distante c'è la dogana al 4° piano della Times Tower, presso S01.17.456 - E036.49.444 dove timbrano il carnet de passage.

A Nairobi abbiamo avuto notizia che lungo la strada del confine ufficiale Etiopia-Kenya, ovvero la Moyale-Isiolo alcuni banditi hanno sparato, i primi giorni di gennaio, ad un tedesco in moto. Fortunatamente hanno colpito la moto e se l'è cavata tutto sommato bene. Moto in riparazione attualmente a Nairobi.

Per chi volesse saperne di più sul motociclista tedesco:

Message from Spencer

On 5th January I was travelling on the road from the Ethiopian/Kenyan border going south from Marsabit and had three puntures on the most difficult road of my life. I stopped at a village called Logologo and whilst I was repairing another puncture a Landcruiser stopped and offered to take my gear on to Isiolo and wait there for an overnight stay. I went on and was concentrating on the road as it was now raining heavily, a tropical storm in fact. There were loose stones and potholes everywhere and the road also became a mud slide with deep mud pits. It was a very remote area. I was only about 10 Ks outside the village when three Boran Shiftas ( according to the Police) started shooting at me from a hillside. I came off the bike and realised that they were approaching fast. I managed to jump back on my Tenere and went as quickly as I could to get out of range of the shooting. I continued for about twenty minutes and had to stop because of the damage to the bike. The left side pannier had been hit, and the back brake calliper and tyre had also been hit by bullets. There was nothing much I could do. Stranded in the middle of nowhere with other bandits probably in the area. I decided to ride on as far as possible but after another seventy klms the back wheel collapsed as the spokes had been snapping one by one due to the severity of the road and the damaged tyre. I abandoned the bike and started walking to a village which was about one and a half ks away. Luckily a Catholic Mission station was situated there and the German Priest helped me by giving me tea and food and arranging for my bike to be trucked to the Mission. Unknown to me he informed the Police and two truck loads of military turned up with the Police. They insisted that I go back with them to where the incident had happened, two hours back, but a fruitless trek. They also stopped to show me where a Chinese surveyor had been shot in the head a few weeks before!!! Back at the Mission the Police took a statement which took another two hours. I have a copy of the statement and some photographs. During all this time I was wearing rain drenched clothes and the Police Chief took pity and provided me with a T shirt. The next morning I organised another truck to take me to Isiolo and thankfully Carl, who had been in the Landcruiser, had waited for me with my gear. Great guy. When I first arrived at Isiolo I was surrounded by Kenyans who knew about the shooting and they informed me that my friend was still there. I shared a room with him that night but not before trauma kicked in for both of us, Carl had feared the worst. Where am I now? In Nairobi at Karen Camp site and a taste of civilisation. Carl and I hired a truck to take my bike and the two of us into the city from Isiolo. My bike is now in pieces at a garage in Nairobi, the gear box also damaged. Will it be fixed? I don’t know but if it is I will contiue south to Tanzania and onwards. I have tried to report this as factually as pos without embellishmet but believe me being shot at is no fun!!! Spencer