Why was the caravan route from Mombasa to Lake Victoria difficult to use?

The caravan route from Mombasa to Lake Victoria was less popular than routes further south primarily due to two significant challenges:

• Environmental obstacles: Travelers faced the difficulty of crossing the arid, desert-like terrain of the Taru Plain.12
• Hostile encounters: The route passed through territory dominated by the Maasai, whose hostility toward outsiders made the journey particularly dangerous.12