Subdivision of group ranches in Maasailand

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Subdivision of group ranches in Maasailand

• Case of Kajiado District, Southwestern Kenya
• Esther Mwangi, IFPRI (CAPRi)

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Group ranch subdivision Why?

• Gained momentum early to mid-1980s
• Subdivide and distribute amongst shareholding
  members
• Maasai pastoralism has evolved under conditions
  of low (typically varying between 400-500mm) and
  variable rainfall
• Patchily distributed resources in space
• Mobility

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The Maasai Group Ranches

• Stabilize environment commercialize livestock
  enterprise
• The Land Adjudication Act of June 1968 recording
  of rights and interests in customary lands, and
  their assignment to their customary users.
• The Land (Group Representatives) Act i.e. the
  Group Ranch Act governance and administration of
  group ranches.

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• group ranch is owned jointly by all members in
  equal, undivided shares
• Elect management committee at AGM livestock
  quotas decisions on behalf of members
• Annual meetings quorum of at least 60 group
  decision? 60 of members present at meeting
• KLDP WB USAID
• 57 group ranches adjudicated

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Demands for subdivision

• Barely 10 years after creation (mid-1970s)Kaputie
  i
• Gained momentum in mid 1980s
• By 1985, 22 group ranches had resolved to
  subdivide 7 subdivided (Munei, 1987). By 1996,
  22 subdivided and individual land titles being
  issued. 11 others subdividing. 2000, 31
  subdivided and been issued with titles. 14 under
  survey/demarcation. 12 resisted subdivision.
• What fueled the increased demands for
  subdivision? Why the transition?

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Study sites and methods

• Four study sites, Enkaroni, Meto, Nentanai,
  Torosei
• Central division soils, vegetation, geology and
  rainfall, ethnic composition are relatively
  homogeneous
• Variation in size distance from Bissel, main
  marketing center
• Interviews archival search

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Some findings Mixed motivations
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But what else?

• Historical losses
• Settlement of European immigrants (2 M Ha) early
  20th century (Kipury Halderman)
• Wildlife conservation (about 26000 Km2) 1946-61
  (Kituyi)
• Overspill from high population density areas
  1950s-60s (FratkinCampbell)
• More recent losses under group ranch

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Theres more.. currently

• Re-aggregating parcels
• Continued herd redistribution

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The meaning?

• Subdivision a defensive strategy to secure
  against unsanctioned appropriations
• Subdivision in a variable environment perhaps
  unstable, to enhance viability of production
  systems, renegotiation of access, withdrawal
  rights.

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Some thoughts

• Insecure tenures for the collective
• Insecure tenure within the collective
• ?inappropriate tenure regimes