FAMILY HISTORY

And So it Began - The Roberts Family History: Caro’s grandparents, David and Betty Roberts, settled in Kenya in the 1940s and spent much of their lives on the wild shores of Lake Baringo, where they raised their six children. As pioneers of safaris in Northern Kenya, David was often called upon by Government House to organize and lead safaris for dignitaries—including escorting Prince Philip to Lake Turkana in 1963.

Since 1963, the Roberts family has played a key role in shaping Kenya’s safari industry. They specialized in operating and guiding mobile safaris, developing luxury lodges across the country, and contributing significantly to wildlife conservation efforts.

Mobile Expeditions was founded by Caro’s father, Willie Roberts, renowned throughout Kenya and beyond as a master of the original luxury mobile safari. Willie felt most at home in the wilderness, spending his life living in a tent adorned with Afghan carpets, white linens, and an ever-growing collection of stones, seedpods, and driftwood gathered from his travels around Kenya.

Today, Caro—along with her husband Ross Withey and their two sons, Charlie and Daniel—continues this remarkable tradition. They transformed Willie’s luxury mobile camp into the beautiful boutique Roca River Camp, nestled along the Mara River in the Maasai Mara Reserve. This well-situated camp remains a popular destination, embodying Willie’s legacy in every detail. In addition to Roca River Camp and tailor-made safaris, Caro and Ross also own and manage Samatian Island, a private island retreat on Lake Baringo, where Charlie and Daniel grew up.

Willie: Willie Roberts was a visionary and one of the most influential figures in wildlife conservation in Kenya. He established the first wildlife conservancy on tribal trust land in the Maasai Mara, effectively pioneering the “conservancy movement” that protected vast tracts of land from being converted into farmland. His efforts laid the foundation for community conservancies throughout Kenya, serving as an inspiration and a model for others to follow.

A passionate and unconventional conservationist, Willie had an extraordinary impact on Kenya’s wildlife conservation landscape despite having no formal qualifications. Growing up around Lake Baringo, he spent most of his life in the Maasai Mara, where he developed a deep commitment to protecting wildlife and supporting local communities.

In the early 1980s, Willie initially worked as a wheat farmer in the Maasai Mara area, but soon recognized the ecological damage agriculture was causing to the fragile ecosystem. He shifted his focus to conservation, leaving farming behind and dedicating himself to protecting wildlife. He even personally funded anti-poaching rangers, often facing threats from powerful figures involved in illegal wildlife exploitation—but he remained undeterred.

Willie’s close friendship with Paramount Chief Ole Ntutu proved instrumental. Together, they reclaimed farmland for conservation, establishing the Mara Safari Club. This partnership was pivotal, reversing wildlife habitat loss and demonstrating how land could be preserved for ecotourism rather than agriculture.

In 1992, Willie founded the Ol Choro Oiroua Wildlife Management Association—Kenya’s first community-led conservation group—enabling local landowners to directly benefit from tourism revenue. After winning a landmark court case, this model inspired the creation of other community conservancies, fundamentally reshaping wildlife management by empowering local communities.

Later, Willie went on to lead the Mara Conservancy, managing the Mara Triangle section of the Maasai Mara. Under his leadership, poaching drastically decreased, infrastructure improved, and tourism flourished. His management model became a benchmark for successful conservation across Africa.

Today, Willie’s legacy endures in the over 170 community conservancies across Kenya that continue to uphold the principles he pioneered. His work demonstrated that local stewardship, transparency, and a deep commitment to conservation can make a lasting difference in preserving Kenya’s natural heritage.

Throughout his life, Willie also built three lodges, starting with his first at the age of just nineteen, relying solely on his vision, experience, and remarkable sense of style—without any formal architectural assistance. He later built Sirikoi Lodge with his wife, Sue, which has been recognized as one of Kenya’s most beautiful lodges and has earned numerous prestigious awards, reflecting Willie’s talent for creating luxury in the wild.