Continuity and Transformation of Pastoralism among the Maasai of Narok County, Kenya (1850–2002)
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Date
2025-05
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
The Maasai pastoralism economy in Narok, (present day Narok County) has experienced continuity and transformation accounting for changes in pastoralists' livelihoods influenced by economic adaptation and outside influences on the Maasai from 1850 to 2002.This study as an analytical product of archival, oral and library research sought to investigate the pre-colonial traditional practices and the socio-economic, cultural and leadership frameworks that facilitated pastoralism as a major livelihood in Narok County (1850-1899), analyzes the effects of land alienation and settlement policies on Maasai pastoral nomadism and grazing patterns in Narok County, during the colonial period (1900-1963) and lastly examines how the reforms in land tenure, adjudication of land, expansion of agriculture, and policies of sedentariness during the Kenyatta and Moi regimes affected Maasai access to pastoral lands and viability of traditional pastoralism in Narok county, Kenya (1964-2002). The research relied on the resilience theory, which explains how the Maasai have in the past coped with challenges like loss of land and policy shifts while attempting to sustain their pastoral identity and the articulation of modes of production theory, which explains how Maasai pastoralism came to be articulated with and subordinated to capitalism which did not suppress pastoralism but reorganized it in a manner that made it unsustainable. The research took an exploratory approach and applied purposive sampling technique. Oral interviews, archival research, and a review of primary and secondary documents were used for data collection which was analyzed through inferences, comparisons, logical historical explanations, and narrative synthesis. Evidence indicates that between 1850 and 1899, the Maasai pastoralist economy was characterized by extensive livestock keeping, a strong communal land tenure system, and an extensive trade network. Between 1900 and 1963, colonial policies, alienation of land, and economic change caused tremendous dislocations, which reformed pastoralist customary ways. Between 1964 and 2002, the Maasai pastoralist economy declined due to increased land fragmentation, government-initiated decentralization and market-driven economic changes. The study discovers that while pastoralism remains a significant economic activity for the Maasai, historical and current forces have undermined its historical foundation. The study adds to the overall discourse on African pastoralist economies and provides insights into pastoralist communities' adaptive strategies to contemporary socio-economic challenges.
Description
A Thesis Submitted to the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences for Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Arts (History) of Kenyatta University, May 2025.
Supervisors
1. Dr. Kakai Pius Wanyonyi Senior Lecturer: Department of History, Archaeology & Political Science
2. Dr. Julius Nabende. Lecturer: Department of History, Archaeology & Political Science