The heart of Borana Conservancy
Borana Lodge is run by a friendly and dedicated hospitality team. From the kitchen to the rooms, our team ensure that each guest has a memorable safari experience. We employ a total of 39 people with 54% from the neighbourhoods surrounding Borana Conservancy and 41% female.
For more information on local employment click here.
Nancy Mackena, head of our housekeeping department, has dedicated four and a half years to Borana Lodge, bringing her exceptional attention to detail to our team. For Nancy, the most rewarding aspect of working at Borana is our strong commitment to our staff and the close-knit community.
Nancy comes from Subuiga, nestled next to the Ngare Ndare forest, and is passionate about sustainability; consistently working to reduce waste, promote recycling, and embrace eco-friendly practices both at home and at work.
Nancy's most cherished wildlife moments include spotting rhinos and elephants from the lodge, encountering leopards within the lodge gardens, and listening to the echoing roars of lions in the valley. In her spare time, Nancy enjoys travelling with her family, visiting relatives, and embarking on countrywide safaris.
With 11 years of service at Borana Lodge, David Mugwe leads our maintenance and gardening team, ensuring that the lodge remains in impeccable condition. David is an avid learner, finding joy in expanding his knowledge through different tasks at Borana Lodge.
David's sustainability efforts revolve around recycling and maintaining our solar farm, diligently making sure the solar panels are clean and efficient. He is often found helping set up delightful bush breakfasts and picnics in our favourite secluded spots.
David enjoys spotting elephants from the lodge and the occasional porcupine. Beyond work, his hobby is embracing life to the fullest.
Peter's journey with Borana began in 2004 when, during his school holidays, he worked alongside Rose and Tony Dyer, learning farming and conservation techniques. As a guide at Borana Lodge, Peter continues to learn every day, meticulously studying animal behaviour patterns and documenting them. He is most excited about Earthranger, a new system the ranger team on Borana Conservancy is using to log wildlife sightings, track rangers and protect wildlife with real-time data.
Peter's sustainability focus on Borana centres around reforestation, where he creatively uses recycled milk cartons to plant trees and diligently collects plastic and discarded wire when out on the conservancy. Among his cherished wildlife sightings at Borana, spotting an Aardvark ranks as one of the most thrilling.
In his spare time, Peter enjoys reading books, watching documentaries, playing football, and indulging in music, all while at home in Lodwar, west of Turkana.
Lawrence's nine-year journey with Borana has primarily seen him as a guide, but at the beginning of 2023, he was promoted to Assistant Manager. Borana holds a special place in Lawrence's heart, and he deeply appreciates the lodge's commitment to sustainability and its positive impact on the surrounding communities.
Hailing from Laikipia County, Lawrence is not only a team leader but also a sustainability champion, dedicated to instilling Borana Lodge's staff with the importance of sustainability and the 4C ethos.
One of his top wildlife highlights at Borana was photographing the rare sighting of a leopard at the Lodge bar, snoozing in the fireplace, and coordinating its safe exit without harm.
Lawrence's personal interests include exploring different regions of the country and learning about various conservation and sustainable practices.
Tatiana Dyer, our Assistant Manager, joined Borana in January 2023, returning home to Kenya after a stint in the UK. Tatiana grew up on Kisima Farm, the sister farm to Borana, and she has spent considerable time exploring the conservancy and working during the summer months. What Tatiana values most about Borana is the people and the opportunity it provides travellers and local people to explore this magical part of the world.
Tatiana's focus revolves around community engagement, a crucial aspect of the 4Cs. She actively collaborates with the local beading women from the neighbouring Maasai communities.
Among her cherished wildlife experiences at Borana, she fondly recalls watching rhinos, elephants, and buffalo grazing in the valley just below the lodge.
During her time off, Tatiana enjoys horse riding and safari adventures in various parts of the country.
Milli Musee is our dynamic General Manager, who started in her role as Borana Lodge manager in June 2022, following her experience managing large security camps in war zones across Africa and the Middle East. Every day in her role at the lodge offers a unique, fast-paced, and exhilarating experience with tangible real-time results. Hailing from Western Kenya, specifically Kakamega, known for its last indigenous rainforest, Milli is deeply rooted in the beauty of nature.
Milli is a sustainability champion, dedicating her efforts to energy conservation, water preservation, recycling, sustainable procurement processes, and empowering our staff through training. She actively aims to engage each of our guests in our various sustainable practices.
One of Milli's most memorable wildlife moments was witnessing a male lion receiving medical care at Arijiju dam while simultaneously observing other lions making three successful buffalo kills within 50 meters. When not at work, Milli enjoys farming, travelling, and even crocheting for relaxation.
With an impressive 18-year tenure at Borana, Bernard, our Head Chef, has truly made Borana his home and family. Starting as a barman and eventually taking the helm as Head Chef, Bernard finds immense joy in the creativity of his work and experimenting with new recipes, often inspired by our guests. Bernard's roots are not far from Borana, as he hails from Marula in Laikipia.
In the realm of sustainability, Bernard focuses on reducing food waste and tailoring recipes to align with the produce from Waitabit Farm and other local suppliers.
Bernard's heart belongs to elephants, and he revels in spotting them from the kitchen window. Additionally, he's had the privilege of spotting leopards on multiple occasions, including within the bar area—twice! In his time off, Bernard enjoys watching movies, trips to the beach, and exploring other culinary hotspots for inspiration.
Osman Boru, our dedicated Head Waiter, has been serving guests at Borana for an impressive 13 years, taking exceptional care of their lodge experiences. Borana is not only his workplace but also his second home, where he cherishes the camaraderie among the team and wakes up to the breathtaking landscape that surrounds the lodge. Osman originally hails from Munyangalo, a local community on the eastern side of Borana, and currently resides in Kina within Isiolo County.
Osman is committed to sustainability and makes a conscious effort to repurpose empty wine bottles into water glasses or water bottles on the dining tables. He actively seeks to reduce food and water waste by understanding guests' preferences and dislikes.
One of Osman's top wildlife experiences was witnessing wild dogs during a bush breakfast and encountering both lions and leopards passing through our fly camp. He has a profound love for birds and takes delight in feeding them during breakfast and lunch service. Osman is a social individual who enjoys spending time with friends and family during his downtime. He is also passionate about educating the younger generation about the importance of environmental stewardship and is a mean football player.
Paolo is one of the longest-serving members of the Borana Lodge team. For an impressive 20 years, Paolo has been an integral part of the maintenance team. During his time at Borana, he has made exceptional friendships with fellow employees and cherishes the close-knit team the lodge has created. Paolo grew up and currently resides in Borana’s local village, Ngare Ndare and therefore has an intimate knowledge of the area.
Paolo's primary dedication to sustainability revolves around the care and maintenance of our solar panels. He meticulously ensures these panels remain in optimal condition, functioning efficiently to maximise their energy production and longevity.Every day at Borana is different and what truly ignites Paolo’s his enthusiasm is the anticipation of what wildlife he might spot from the lodge, with a special affinity for elephants and rhinos.
Beyond his work, Paolo has a deep-seated passion for farming, finding joy in planting crops and observing their growth during his downtime at home.
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