The Tsavo National Park was gazetted on 1 April, 1948.as Kenya’s 2nd National Park – after Nairobi National Park.
The Tsavo National Park ecosystem covers an area of 20, 812km2 and is the biggest park in Kenya and notably one of the largest game sanctuaries in the world. The park was established in 1948, but later split to Tsavo East and Tsavo West parks for administrative purposes.
The railway line built by the British colonial government then was used as the boundary. Tsavo east was used as a hunting ground for the local communities, the Kamba and Waliangulu. In 1848, the first white man to see Mount Kenya, Dr. Krapf journeyed on foot throughout the park on his way to Kitui, crossing the Tsavo River.
In 1898, construction of the railway river reached the Tsavo River, and at this time the legendary man eating lions of Tsavo killed over 130 railay construction workers until Col. J.H.Patterson stopped the carnage. The British army constructed fortresses along the Tsavo River in the wake of the World War I when Germans from Tanganyika (now Tanzania) threatened to bomb the bridge at River Tsavo in order to dismantle communication.
The Luggards falls is named after a European explorer, Fredrick Luggard who on his way to Uganda made a stop over at the spot where river Athi changes to Galana.