Question

Give reasons to explain why the Maasai community lost their grazing lands.

Answer 1

The Maasai community lost its grazing lands because of the advent of colonial rule in Africa. In 1885 itself, Maasai land was cut in half by an international boundary drawn between the two colonies British Kenya and German Tanganyika. The best pastures were reserved for white settlements, and the Maasai tribes were given arid, small areas in south Kenya and north Tanzania. This lack of good grazing lands and a two-year drought led to loss of almost 60% cattle belonging to the Maasai tribes. Increase in cultivation and promotion of game reserves added to their woes. Thus, with the increasing power of the colonists and their adverse impact on the Maasai’s social life, this community gradually lost all its grazing lands.