Drought drives 300,000 Kenyan cattle into Tanzania

By Adam Ihucha

1st June 2009
Kenyan CattleTanzania`s northern territory has been overwhelmed by livestock population as Kenyan nomadic herdsmen drive their hungry cattle across the border seeking ‘greener pastures’, ‘The Guardian’ has learnt.

Millions of livestock in neighbouring Kenya are facing the worst drought, after a lull of more than 10 years.

Reports have it that drought has scorched south-western Kenya's thick vegetation and sucked its rivers dry, compelling the herdsmen to drive their cattle into Tanzania and Uganda where they flock for green pastures.

Three local districts straddling the sprawling northern Tanzania/Kenya borderline are the hardest hit by the influx of the starved Kenyan cattle.

So far, Kenyan herdsmen have migrated to Tanzania’s Ngorongoro, Monduli and Longido districts seeking pastures for nearly 300,000 combined herd of animals, threatening land degradation and dispute with their Tanzanian counterparts.

Ngorongoro District Commissioner, Elias Wawa Lali said that the district is currently under pressure as hundreds of hungry Kenyan cattle flock into the area daily for greener pastures.

“We are facing the complex issue of cattle migration at the moment because sometimes the Kenyan herdsmen mostly Maasai tribes conspire with their Tanzania counterparts to bring their cattle into our land,” Lali said in a telephone interview yesterday.

He said they have launched a diplomatic strategy to identify Kenyan herdsmen who migrated into the vast Ngorongoro territory so as to send them back home for the sake of peace and security.

“We are engaging Maasai traditional leaders in a bid to be vigilant and ascertain the Kenyan herdsmen in order to repatriate them peacefully before it is too late” the DC stressed.

Monduli’s herdsmen are understood to have lodged their concern to the district Commissioner Jowika Kasunga, explaining that the Kenyan pastoralists invasion now needs government intervention.

A point of concern is that while the Kenyan herdsmen crossing the border have been grazing anywhere at will, Kenyan land policies do not allow the same liberty, should herdsmen in Tanzania face a similar predicament.
While land in Kenya belongs to individuals, in Tanzania land is either communal or government property.

Mosses Ndoimbo says they have found themselves in a situation where it was impossible for them to cross into Kenya as the Kenyan land use, policies and ownership left no room for alien animals to graze.

“Kenyan livestock keepers had individual title deeds that prohibit Tanzanian herdsmen from free entry,” Ndoimbo said.

Another resident, a mixed farmer, Joel Oola said if the government of Tanzania didn’t act fast Monduli and Longido districts might be plunged into land disputes.

“Besides overgrazing and environmental degradation, there is a latent conflict between pastoralists and farmers in the two districts like it was the case in Rukwa and Morogoro regions,” Oola warned.

Responding to the residents’ complaints, DC Kasunga explained the interaction was a delicate issue that needed careful handling.

He said he had already started working on the problem but careful approach was needed as the border communities were in many cases blood-relatives.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Read an article that UNESCO is considering removing the Ngorongoro Conservation area from the World Heritage Sites.

Too many tourists and photo safari companies driving around, sometimes looks like rush-hour with everybody fighting for a spot at lion kills.

That would be a shame after being a World Heritage Site for close to 30 years.

Yeah, it would. We're stopping off there for a couple of days in July prior to driving out to camp. If it's a traffic jam, we may just get some sleep and blow it off.

quote:

Originally posted by nampom:
Read an article that UNESCO is considering removing the Ngorongoro Conservation area from the World Heritage Sites.

Too many tourists and photo safari companies driving around, sometimes looks like rush-hour with everybody fighting for a spot at lion kills.

That would be a shame after being a World Heritage Site for close to 30 years.

A non hunting friend went there last year and did not like it at all, too crowded felt as if he was on the Bush Gardens Safari ride. He thought it was a total waste of time an a lot of money.

Although congested with Tourists, I wouldn't call a visit there a wast of time.

The threat to loss of status is not so much the number of tourists but the unchecked increase in human settlement by the Maasai together with uncontrolled increase in livestock and farming activities by said communities.

The Gov of Tz has been given an ultimatum to establish a quota for number of people and livestock and cease all agricultural activities or lose status. With loss of status comes loss of income for the management of the NCA.....In other words, Go now before it is too late!!

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:
Although congested with Tourists, I wouldn't call a visit there a wast of time.

I was obliged to visit the entire circuit, ie. Tarangire, Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Seronera back in 1992 to appease my
visiting relatives.
I was totally disgusted and vowed never to return to this "Zoo"!
Imagine having to sit in a queue of vehicles and wait your turn to view a half dozen black rhino which I could swear would probably
feed from our hand! (several have since been poached right under the noses of the wardens).
I have stuck to my word and not gone back. I take my kids with me to the hunting concessions at season's end where the game is still
in a natural state and appreciate a taste of the real Africa.

Yes, I too would love to stroll through the Serengeti Safari areas such as Maswa and Ikorongo hunting for Buff, but doubt I will be able to afford it.
However, I consider the vista of the Serengeti a must see in ones life, and I'm glad I have.

All the time I spent in Africa, I'm finally going to get a quick look at the crater. I just hope we don't have to contend with a bunch of greenies at the lodge.