On 11 May 2013, a regional World Migratory Bird Day event will be held in Kenya, the launching country of WMBD. The event will take place at Lake Elementaita, including activities such exhibitions, speeches by honored guests and various forms of entertainment, such as an acrobatic show.
Hosts of the event are the government of Kenya through Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), in collaboration with the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA). Sponsoring has been received by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
The renowned writer and conservationist Ms. Kuki Gallmann has confirmed her participation in this event. She is a CMS Abassador and Honorary Warden of KWS.
Lake Elemetaita, part of the Kenya Lakes Systems (Elementaita, Nakuru, Bogoria) is a shallow alkaline lake lying on the floor of the Great Rift Valley at 1,776 m above sea level. The Kenya Lakes System property sustains 75% of the globally significant threatened population of the Near-threatened Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) and serves as stop-over, wintering and summering site for over 100 migratory bird species that use the Great Rift Valley flyway. The migratory birds originate from Europe and northern Asia as well as other parts of Africa.
Lake Elementaita was designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) in 1999 and as a Ramsar site in 2005. In 2011 it was inscribed by UNESCO as part of the Kenya Lakes System in the Great Rift Valley as a World Heritage Site.