Pastoralism is not understood by many. Pastoralist life is daily struggle to find pasture and water for cattle. I am sure if you ask Githuguri farmers how dairy farming is stressfully - they can tell you it's no joke.
My own great grandfather story mirrors many in that documentary. My great grandfather who I am named after (this happenstance in our place) - emigrated from near Sondu in search of pasture to Borabu scheme - some 100kms. One of his step brother a young boy then had gone to look for a job - in Mzungu farm - and he was told he was underage - Mzungu needed people with cattle - bulls to dig their farms - and graze their cattle on the edge of their farms as payment.
Off my great grandfather trekked 100kms down south - with his herds - together with his step brother - settle down - giving out the bulls for Mzungu like those in Laikipia - and then allowed to build his boma - and graze his cows on the edges. This was circa 1910-1920s.
My great grandfather brother left in northern direction - ended up in either Naivasha or Laikipia - but without cattle - to work as Mzungu farm hand - this time driving a tractor - he would be burnt in a house when he was infected with smallpox - the mzungu just burnt his hut with him inside. The wife came back to Kericho.
My grandfather was born in there - in Mzungu farm in Borabu - now Nyamira. Mzungu had created a 10 mile stripe from north of kipsigis to south- to stop kipsigis cattle rustlers from disturbing Gusii. They then invited British settlers to settle in that border and separate the savages.
After 30yrs - Mzungu in 1935s brought tractors - and told all the people in the farm - their bulls were no longer needed - only those working for mzungu as maid or plumbers - should remain - everyone else with their large herd of cattle should leave.
People left with thousands of cattle - and settled at edges of Mzungu - and now the struggle for pasture start again - and inevitable conflict with Maasai occurs.
Eventually Mzungu prov administrators had to resolve that conflict - this time - he did not create a 10 mile boudary - he create an half a mile - Nusu Maili - boundary seperating Bomet and Narok county - nobody was to cross the border. It was to be a no mans land...a tribal boundary.
Obviously Kipsigis with large herds of cattle and not enough pasture - found ways to ignore the border and move the cattle to Transmara.My great grandfather and others decide to find pasture in Maasai land - Transmara - conflict and war arise.
One day the herdsboy did not arrive with large cattle - he came and said Mzungu and Narok police had driven them away for tresspasing into Narok.
My great grandfather treks all the way to Narok - that like 200kms - and reach Narok to find his cows already sold - as fine - money deducted and he was given the remainder in coins.
He spend the next few weeks or months just looking at those coins - all he could mutter was all my cattle are now these coins ? - and he died shortly - with depression.
My grandfather and his family become poor or destitute - and have to go work for Mzungu for survival - and either raid for cattle in Gusii or borrow from friends and relatives - to rebuild the herd.
When Mzungu was leaving - there were offered 20 to 40 acres each to buy - he said that is a joke - no way he will buy soil or land.
Pastoralist believe LAND is from GOD - cannot be bought or sold - my grandfather and other could not understand how you can buy or own or fence land - for them land was free for all - you only own the cattle - the more cattle - the wealthier - land was useless - it's pasture for everyone - you only fence where you farm small kitchen garden - the rest is free for everyone cattle to roam freely.
This is pastoralist mindset - any fence they see - is really going against the pastoralist mindset. For them land is communal - belong to everyone - jasho yako is how you take good care of your cattle.
People live in small tiny plots near each other for company - but generally they left pasture land for everyone - and in drought thousands of cows would be driven to forests - like Mau or Mount Kenya. When the rain was back and grass regenerate - they are driven back. This was a man - to protect cows from rustlers- and boys job to herd the cow. The women would remain at home.
This same for pokots - they leave their families - and go for 3 months taking care of cows from being stolen - and looking for pasture. Truly nomadic people like Maasai or Somalis - move with entire families - and construct temporary structures - women do the construction - coz it not expected to last months - they are pitching camps - following pasture. The forests like Mau or Mt kenya were the last resort for drought - diarhoeaing on leaves or the little grass found there- that is where cows would be hidden for few months - if the drought was severe.
Now everywhere is fenced. Land is private. Forest are even worse.
For pastoralism to have any future - gov need to open up routes to forests - and allow cattle to stay there during dry months.
After watching this. I am now sympathetic to pastroralists. We need to find a way govt can help them. Boreholes etc. Modercai proposals seem like good and sensible way of resolving conflicts instead of this constant violence
Topic: Allan Namu part 2 documentary -The Fight For Water - Kenya's Cattle Wars (Read 875 times)