Pastoralists raise red flag over Nairobi expansion

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A Maasai herdsman grazes his cattle. Pastoralists have raised alarm over the aggressive expansion of Nairobi Metropolitan areas saying it is a threat to wildlife and the natural environment August 19, 2011. FILE 

By NATION Reporter
Posted  Friday, August 19  2011 at  12:09

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Pastoralists have raised alarm over the aggressive expansion of Nairobi Metropolitan areas saying it is a threat to wildlife and the natural environment.

Under the Kajiado Pastoralists Forum (KPF), the group say the encroachment on wildlife habitat, uncoordinated land subdivision, unplanned human settlement leading to environmental degradation especially in Kitengela, Isinya and Kipeto areas of Olkejuado County is a cause for concern.

KPF has also warned that the Nairobi National Park is facing extinction following encroachment and human settlement in the wildlife dispersion areas.

Local leaders, including Olkejuado County Council (OCC) say the shift from communal to private land ownership has seen an unprecedented rush by private developers and individuals to buy parcels of land in the County has aggravated the situation.

They point out the recent human activities in the larger area has affected the free movement of animals by sealing off the migration corridor.

KPF says that the Maasai pastoralists’ community has coexisted harmoniously with wildlife while grazing their livestock but that is in danger due to competition over pasture land leading to human-wildlife conflict among other undesirable effects.

To curb the crisis, various stakeholders in the community under Kajiado Pastoralists Forum(KPF), Olkejuado County Council(OCC), Department of Physical Planning (DPP) took an initiative in 2004 to develop a 20-year Land Use Master Plan (LUMP) to regulate land use a 60,000 hectares span of land.

The LUMP was adopted by Ministry of Land in February 2010 and by OCC in June 2009.

A task force held several meetings with the provincial administration, Kajiado Town Council, community leaders, youth and women to work on an implementation plan last week.

After approval of the plan, youth from various parts of the county agreed to support the implementation and educate the entire community on the benefits of the master plan.