https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=216146468676860998864.0004e9e7797d50d873c39&msa=0&ll=-4.030542,39.624767&spn=0.103256,0.157928 Remember to zoom out. The blue truck is you.If you were to ask Alzmer, he would indicate that you need to
at least obtain a sample from (1)Mine C and (2)Mine A or B. He would also indicate that one from all four would be better in his opinion.
There are 4 major villages or larger along the road you are currently traveling (although it doesn't match with what a village is, I am using 1k residents or so as a village, and 5k or larger as a town). The yellow flags belong to minor tribes or a collection of a few. The blue Flags are Kamba (or largely so). The Kamba are pretty neutral as far as things go. If passing through towns, you might encounter your normal collection of gang like activities, though none you directly identify as a major player. Traffic will slow as you pass through these (there isn't that much on the road now, and the farther west you get, the less there will be.
The road labelled A109 (Mombasa Road) is maintained in a more or less travel worth state. Not because it contains a high volume of military traffic, but more because it is the only road of any consequence that runs east-west in the area. After it turns north, which would leave you on A23, the quality becomes more and more in doubt the farther west you travel. After the last Kamba town on the map, it has seen little travel of late, likely leaving its quality in question. State presence is low along most of the stretch of the road, so banditry is possible, but infrequent until you reach the turn off to A23, where is may increase some, but not a lot until again, you are out past most of the major villages. Then again, the farther you are from the road, the less controlled things are, simply due to more wide open space.
Along the road, the chances of being seen are greater, since it is the only major road, hence most of the watchers ill tend to frequent it. Off the road you are less likely to be spotted, but may run into a militia (and i use that term loosely, since banditry may be a closer description) or other things. The chances of animal encounters are also almost nil on the highway till you leave 109.
So it is a choice between speed/safety(probably) vs stealth. But no guarantees.As for terrain, if you stay on the road, you will find yourselves in the foothills as you approach Lake Jipe. If you choose instead to pass around the south of the lake, you will stay in grassland/savannah longer, but eventually you will reach the foothills (that is where the mines are after all). Foothills means less visibility, both for you and for anyone looking for you, and travel will slow more (though you would travel a longer distance going around the lake). Foothills will be harder to travel, but the paranormal dangers are not noticeably different either way, as long as you stay in your vehicles. If you get out and walk around,
you are probably safer in the plains only due to visibility other than from snakes (though those live in the foothills too -- and you didn't grab any antivenom patches after the drunks speech - so if you do get out, keep your eyes open).
The lake itself and surrounding lands are likely the only areas that see any kind of a noted increase (at least that you know about) in animal/paracritter activity, given it is a water source.
Spirit activity will likely increase somewhat as you enter the foothills, before dying off closer to the peak (though I doubt you are going that far).
This is all probably more than your knowledge check entitled you to, but I figured it was stuff I felt was fair filling you in on in making your decisions. If you want to leave the road I will add stuff for alternate paths on the map when that comes up.
