Ntimama’s point on tribalism and respect

[roughrider]

I aver that there are many kinds of subjugation – racial, economic, social, political, cultural…

The people of Narok have a right to be concerned about one-way settlement policies and negative tribal attitudes of some Kenyan communities. If it is impossible for a Masaai or a Luhyia to set up shop in Nyeri why should we expect the Masaai or Luhyia to be magnanimous with their land?

If a Kalenjin sets up a shop in Muranga none of the locals will buy from it; if local thugs do not target it for robbery, then it will be burnt down in the middle of the night anyway. There is a strict code of conduct in Central province: Nobody sells land to anyone other than a fellow Kikuyu.

When Ntimama says Central province is a Bantustan, he speaks for many.

Who would have imagined that the KShs. 400,000,000 of taxpayers’ money that Amos Kimunya set aside ostensibly for settling ‘squatters’ was only meant for people from one community? Aren’t there Kalenjins, Kambas, Coastals and others who are squatters in need of assistance?

The glaring tribalism in the ministries of finance and education is just sickening. It is said that some official meetings in government are held in the native Kikuyu language. The other day The Standard reported, exclusively, how the Administration Police recruitment was connived to have most of the recruits from Central province. Is this not tribalism?

All the ignominious scandals that have rocked Mwai Kibaki’s tenure have their genesis or have at least been fueled by ethnicity – Anglo leasing was a story of grand larceny but it is also a story of cronyism and ethnic paranoia. The Artur scandal has been described as a case of influence peddling and ‘informal government’ but it also a classic example of how ethnic networks can bring a country down… who can say that Joseph Kamau or George Muhoho were employed on merit?

Whatever others might say this is the reality of Kenya’s ethno-political landscape and the real reason why people like William Ole Ntimama will always have a captive, nodding audience. This government and its agents haven’t an iota of moral authority to query ‘tribal’ pronouncements when their guiding principle is in fact, tribalism.

[kamalet]

RR,

This is patently cheap tribalism which I would have hoped was the domain of politicians! I guess I am wrong.

So central province is closed to non-kikuyus (please stop colouring it as bantus - for even luhyias are bantus!), then what pray are all the indians and somalis doing in central province? What about the kisiis that own matatus in nyahururu? It is a shame that people love stereotypes and ignore the facts that perhaps stop a luo or a masai to open shop say in the middle of Limuru. Surely a bit of analysis will help you out.

I am aware of this kikuyu fellow that owns a butchery behind Octopus in Kisumu and who speaks fluent Luo. I am also aware of this kikuyu fellow that owns a bar in Suswa and speaks fluent masai. What about the wahindi or somali traders in these towns? My point is that there are people who have an affinity for trading whilst others see farming as the best opportunity, hence will go out of their way to buy property where they can find the opportunities - without fearing that the people around them will attack them since they never look at other people in these areas as anything but Kenyans!

Let us stop this tribalism for the sake of us all!!

[50cents]

@kamale
Kenya belongs to kenyans and no way any part of kenya will be closed to certain tribes. Let politicians say whatever they wish but for you and I we will not let this happen.

News just coming in:

Narok North MP William ole Ntimama picked by police for his alleged inciting remarks over the weekend_

[abdulmote]

Ntimama may have true concerns about his people's welfare, but his method of fighting for the same are simply crude and wrong and he needs to be reprimanded! On the other hand, the government itself lacks any moral authority to do anything good about it and what we have is a state of near anarchy!

RR is just as scarry as any of them politicians roaming about on our Kenyan streets on daily bases. Potentially ready to offer typical tribal leadership we are so familiar with in the name of building a one Kenyan nation, by splitting us in tribal provinces and 'blocks' for his election convenience. Reminds me of Moi and Kibaki if I may say.

[roughrider]

50cents said:

@kamale
News just coming in:

Narok North MP William ole Ntimama picked by police for his alleged inciting remarks over the weekend_

They may arrest Ntimama but they cannot arrest the spirit of the Massai people

[roughrider]

I think it is highly hypocritical for Kamale and Abdulmote to come here and urge me to sweep the issues under the floor. Abdulmote, what other way can Ntimama fight if not by raising his voice? Kamale, being a Kikuyu you may not notice tribalism in this saga other than with roughrider and ole Ntimama; i do not blame you. This glum, dismissive middle class attitude is partially to blame for the way we keep ignoring problems until they fester into national disasters.

I am merely observing what happens in Kenya and there is no need to kill the messenger for his unhappy message. The are some pertinent questions: i) whether there is a land problem in Narok and most of Kenya or not and ii) whether it is as easy for a non kikuyu to operate in Central province as it is for a Kikuyu to operate elsewhere in Kenya.

What Ntimama is asking for is respect and fairness – land is not just any other commodity that can be bought and sold like bananas at the market. For many Kenyans it is their very identity, their essence. Many years ago the British came and ‘bought’ the Maasai land in Laikipia and other places complete with 999 year leases yet we – including people like Kamale and Abdulmote – criticize that transaction as an injustice. Why? Because it was a transaction of inequality and domination…. No Kenyan could go to Britain and purchase land on 999 year leases for prices next to zero. The other day, this ‘African’ government reacted by clobbering any Maasai youth who demanded government intervention in that land transaction and the self-same Kimunya led a propaganda effort to beat the Maasai into submission.

The Kenyatta family owns a whole province and we think this is immoral. Why? Because the land was acquired in lopsided circumstances – there can be no fair trade when information, abilities and resources are lopsided beacsue land is a final, basic asset that often describes a people.

When this Kikuyu-dominated government conspires with wealthy Kikuyu traders to ‘steal’ Massai land after suspending land control boards in Narok and finally purporting to carve out a separate district around the stolen lands then I can see why the native Maasai have a cause to be worried. There is no difference between what the British did and what the Kikuyu are doing in Narok

I will allow Ntimama to speak for himself:

“I don’t want to exchange the domination of the white man with that of the black man. I am just a humble man representing his own people. My people have been oppressed for too long”

“Central Province is closed for non-Bantus. It is barricaded and if you happen to be there as a non-Bantu and open up a kiosk, it will be torched, yet the same people are calling me a tribalist. Why don’t they expend their energies in addressing serious matters like national insecurity?”

[dubois]

RR, dont let Ntimama's colorfull language fool you. What did he do for the maa people when he was a cabinet minister for close to 20 years? How did the eviction of non-maasais in Enoospukia help his people? Ntimama is a wealthy politician who is still milking political cash from anti-kikuyuism. What helpful policies has he come up with for the maasai other than inflammatory language?

I'm surprised that the more vocal members of Jukwaa and the Kenyan presidential candidates are completely silent on this potential disaster (remember the tribal genocide in molo, likoni and other places). Look at how quickly they attack Kibaki's administration yet when a war monger declares that kikuyus are the enemy they go completely quiet. What if he had declared it was the luos or luhyas who are the enemies? or what if a kikuyu politician made similar statements against other tribes? i bet there would be an uproar. Why does Ntimama get away with it? because blaming kikuyus is the best strategy for the odm to trounce kibaki in 2007.

Whatever problems we have in Kenya, will not be solved by grand declarations and hypocrisy. Kikuyus or members of any other community will not accept blanket blame for the sins of a tiny minority.

[mossad]

I come from narok District and Ntimama lives a few mies from me. He's a good person even though i agree that he's done nothing much for the maasai pple.
The issue about the creation of a second district in narok has to do with a fellow called Ole Ntutu. He'a the son of a late wealthy maasai who had 12 wives and a school in Nkorkori about 40 miles west of narok built purposefully for his kids. Ole Ntutu had abig share of land in the maasai mara game reserve and also had a big influence in politics due to his closeness with the former president Moi. In fact rumors goes that Ole Ntutu is a kipsigis disguised as a maasai who has given a big junk of maasai Land to his pple(kipsigis) thus creatig a mega division like mulot for kipsigis in narok district. As much as many here might think that Ntimama is attacking the kikuyu, it's a pretense since the major threat to maasai losing their land are the kipsigis and not the kikuyu. Most kikuyus in narok actually rent the land they live on unlike the kipsigis who own it. Here is what the curerent assisatnt minister Ole ntutu want from the new district. Narok south is the most productive part of the district having a big chunk of land for wheat prduction and the maasai mara game reserve. In case narok district is to be split into two, Narok north will lose in terms of revenue collected from the maasai mara game reserve. That's why Ole ntutu want that part of the district so that he can assert his influence over that land and revenue and also it's a strategy by ole ntutu to further divide the maasai for his political gain.
Ole ntimama fight on my part is good, a lot has been done to keep the communty together and further divisions will just alter development for the maasai who have a lot to lose from these divisions.

Mossad.

[kamalet]

RR,

Perhaps you should learn to listen to your heart and not just what anyother politician yaps about. I think Mossad who has a better insight into the Maa problem has properly put the matter in perspective, actually showing that the problem may not be the Kikuyus after all......

[politicalmaniac]

The Indians and Somalis mentioned by Kamale arent LUO's or my LUHYA's!

The fact that Kamale acknowleged was that kikiyus have businesses in Luoland and luhyaland but not the other way round.

kikiyus regretably dont have 2 of 3 guiding principles ( I have wrtitten them in French) that other communities have in abundance

1)Egalite
2) Fraternite

kikiyu politicians are incomparable for their reprehensible acquisitiveness and insatiable desire for wealth and power. This fact was laid bare in the referndum and in the various scandals seen in the sloths reign.

Sadly the populace from central arent egalitarian and would not hesitate to decapitate "foriegners" from other parts of Kenya who would want to do business in Central.
We are talking of folks who commit homicide over a buck and fratricide over an acre!

Lets face it.
Non kikiyus would have a tough time doing business in central. Period!
I have yet to see a jaluo in Central. Show me a jaluo! just one!
Show me one please!
Or a luhya for that matter.

[abdulmote]

Polima,

Puleaze bwana! Stop this silly and pathetic idea you are trying to share with us. We are yet to hear of any luos, luhyas or any other tribe member being persecuted in central simply for starting up a business there. The fact that you do not know of any of the above to have a thriving bus in centro certainly does not mean that there aren't any! Do you care to back up your allegations by something a little bit more reliable rather than just not being a kikuyu so that we may also know?

Another disgusting issue you have raised above I must say, only points out to your typical tribal prejudice a good few Kenyans may possess against their fellow others! Generalising a people's trend in such a negative attributation of their being is absolutely shallow, grossly wrong and must be firmly discouraged! Imagine if you yourself were a born a kyuk, I very much doubt if that would have been your thinking and observation! But that is not all, your blanket condemnation of a tribe is simply sick. There are a lot many factors which may have indeed influenced the acquisition of wealth by some kikuyus as we know of legitimately so. But with the same token, it is certainly everybody's right to legally pursue that acquisition, you included, if you are able to! And even if the so aclled pursuit of wealth is something which is to your dislike, I think it is also fair to observe that there a lot more Kikuyus who are just as poor as other Kenyans that you can find if you look around How unfair do you become by your unbalanced attack upon such a good and poor people?

It is indeed sad to note that in this day and age, some Kenyans still prefer to see their fellow others through their tribal lenses and not simply as Kenyans dispite sharing the common geographical expanse. I am aware that it may not be an easy change for some, but with the right effort and focus nothing is absolutely impossible.

Kenya is certainly for Kenyans and it is about time we have to learn to honestly live with that, wapende wasipende!

[kamalet]

Is Pmaniac the same fellow who has a Kikuyu business partner who he has no problem with apart from not discussing politics???

I think some hypocrisy needs to end!

[aeichener]

abdulmote said:

Another disgusting issue you have raised above I must say, only points out to your typical tribal prejudice a good few Kenyans may possess against their fellow others! Generalising a people's trend in such a negative attributation of their being is absolutely shallow, grossly wrong and must be firmly discouraged!

You are so right, Abdulmote !

I admire how well and astutely you see the splinter in the other's eye.

Alexander

[roughrider]

dubois said:

RR, dont let Ntimama's colorfull language fool you. What did he do for the maa people when he was a cabinet minister for close to 20 years? How did the eviction of non-maasais in Enoospukia help his people? Ntimama is a wealthy politician who is still milking political cash from anti-kikuyuism. What helpful policies has he come up with for the maasai other than inflammatory language?

I'm surprised that the more vocal members of Jukwaa and the Kenyan presidential candidates are completely silent on this potential disaster (remember the tribal genocide in molo, likoni and other places). Look at how quickly they attack Kibaki's administration yet when a war monger declares that kikuyus are the enemy they go completely quiet. What if he had declared it was the luos or luhyas who are the enemies? or what if a kikuyu politician made similar statements against other tribes? i bet there would be an uproar. Why does Ntimama get away with it? because blaming kikuyus is the best strategy for the odm to trounce kibaki in 2007.

Whatever problems we have in Kenya, will not be solved by grand declarations and hypocrisy. Kikuyus or members of any other community will not accept blanket blame for the sins of a tiny minority.

Dubois its probably your choice to see things one way or the other but your second paragraph is helpful and obviously throws the question back into your face - why? Why are these people silent and why do you suppose they'd shout if it were Luo's and Luhya's involved? Are they quiet possibly because there might be a case beneath the crudity of Ntimama and the shallowness of the media? I see clearly that although you see black where I see white, you still recognise that there are different colours at play here.

Thanks.

[roughrider]

I think that these matters cannot be discussed honestly in an atmosphere that has been poisoned by hypocrisy and a biased media. There is so much dishonesty and many people are trying to be politically correct, declaring that Kenya is one country; everyone is equal and whatnot. This is balderdash; we all know better.

To add insult to injury, the media in Kenya has refused to go beyond the surface of political and tribal rhetoric to discuss the real issues. They hardly conduct any research and what passes for ‘news analysis’ is at best the stuff of high school essaying. This feeds into the level of our discussions: Take Mossad who clearly has not perused the land register in Narok to see who owns what wheat farms. Instead he brazenly declares that Kalenjins buy land while Kikuyus rent land in Narok. Really Mossad? The Maasai land problem did not begin the other day with the creation of political districts and it goes beyond Narok into Transmara and Laikipia. Mossad, this is not merely an ancient feud between two families, both alike in dignity, in fair Narok.

Is Kenya really a country where you can do business anywhere, irrespective of your tribe religion or color?

If, Abdulmote, who may be a Muslim were honest he’d come here and tell us that Muslims are in fact treated like second class citizens in this country – their opportunities and talents constricted by official attitudes. We are hypocrites – Ntimama may be crude but he is exposing our nakedness and we do not like it.

This is not a call to Kikuyu bashing or ethnic posturing but a reminder that we do have negative ethnicity in Kenya and this requires national honesty, truth and reconciliation. Pretending otherwise is myopic, foolish and dangerous.

[mossad]

@rr

I think i do appreciate your concern about the issues and the rights of maasais even though iam sure ntimama is not the best person to listen to.
In Narok north where Ntimama and i hail from there are no pure maasais for your information. The maasai had inter marreid with the kikuyus for hundreds of years even before the british came to colonise kenyans. From this marriages, we now have kikuyus with maasai names and maasias with kikuyu names. This have happened for decades and and today most of our elected officials have both names from different communities. For example do you know that Ntimamas middle name, Rongoine, is derived from the Meru pple. His Kanu rival in the past elections is Ole Mwanik. In kikuyu, thats Mwaninki.
We have families with Names like Ole Kamwaro and Ole Kamamia which are both kikuyu names which are widely used by maasais.
Now i believe you also Know the current Ole Kamwaro who is the commisioner of motor vehicle and a former chairman of Narok County council. Kamwaro is a kikuyu name but a political figure from the same district. Imagine many more who might have such names and own land in narok, wont the same names appear in the registerer of lands in narok??
Ole Tipis who is the former MP from Narok was also a kikuyu and was known to speak in Kikuyu in public fanctions and that was a cause of defeat by Nitmama in the 1988 elections aganist him. Ntimama case about Land and foreigner wont make much sense to many maasai who view him as a Meru and not one of them.
Trust me RR, if you'd like to see 100% maasais, go to Kajiado district or Tanzania, the rest are heavily inter marreid and so a pure maasai is not in Narok but somewhere else.

Mossad.

[politicalmaniac]

Kamale,
My business partner, a kikiyu and the other one from pwani are all transplants in pwani.
Like I said we dont discuss politics with him (our bro from central). Our political outlook are as diviergent as day and night.

After the referendum, he sulked for weeks on end!
We have reciprocating talents that necessitate our business arrangement. We respect each other for what we bring to the table. We eat and drink together provided we dont talk siasa. We dont even tease each other, thats how much we stay away from politics.

When he brings his political friends to the small cube we share as an office I excuse myself and leave, lest my emotions bring an end to a fruitful relationship.

[job]

Is anyone here assuming that Hon. William Ole Ntimama has suddenly gone out of step? Then you probably don't understand the man at all.

Ntimama is as consistent as ever. He is a vocal Maasai land-rights activist and a politician riding on that very crusade as Roughrider has pointed. His message is crisp clear, despite being marred by claims of aggressive tone & language.

Beside ethnic stereotyping of the entire Kikuyu community, which is wrong, his stand on Maasai land matters remains consistently accurate. His stance on tribalism should be refocused directly to its origin and engine today,....Mwai Kibaki, a man who has propagated ethnic favouritism and tribalism to levels never seen before in Kenya. When he dared the looters surrounding Kibaki to arrest him - he was playing politics as it is in Kenya today, thanks to Kibaki himself.

Lets face it, land matters are very sensitive. Origins of many conflicts in the developing world can be traced to disputes over land. Such conflicts are accentuated in response to the increasing control of economic and political institutions by a small elite and privileged class who oversee; the widening inequality and poverty among certain communities; the destruction of traditional & indigenous lifestyles through commercial intrusion; degradation of natural resources in pursuit for money; and failure to strike a balance with social responsibility.

Mossad has given some insider (Narok) perspective on this sensitive land matter, from his side's view. I take particular note of his description of Ntimama as a good man and I'll quote his (Mossad's) parting statement,..... " Ole Ntimama's fight on my part is good, a lot has to be done to keep the communty together and further divisions will just alter development for the Maasai who have a lot to lose from these divisions."

If Narok South is the economic heart of the greater Narok, yet comprising mostly of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve and Wheat & Barley farms owned by just a handful of wealthy tycoons - why carve it out ,.......while leaving Ntimama's Narok South crumbled with the rest of the poorer pastoralist Maasais without any lucrative economic activity? That's potential for socio-economic disaster which Ntimama has correctly read and predicted. Anybody sympathetic to the Maasai cause understands this without doubt.

This is obviously a calculated attempt at robbing the greater Maasai community of the little revenue earning potential from Tourism (at Mara), besides locking them out of the more fertile Narok South reserved for wealthy-immigrant Wheat and Barley farmers. Revenue collected from tourists will in essence go to Narok South, away fro majority Maasais who will remain in poor Narok North since remember,......the yet to be created Narok South district is intended to be inhabited by just a handful of owners of vast tracts like Chief Ole Koriata (close to100,000 acres) Ole Ntutu who is Kibaki's crony in Narok and Ntimama's underdog rival(> 10,000 acres), Nyachae ( 4,000 acres), Moi, Saitoti, Kibaki & such folks.

Any mindful politician representing his peoples interests, like Ntimama, would resist such mischief, ladden with extreme socio-economic and political consequences. I can bet you that Ntimama would gain utmost respect from his Maasai people with regard to his accurate reading of mischief in the creation of a political district for Ole Ntutu's Narok South.

Of course in the world of the offending interests with grabbing intentions, Ntimama is viewed as a fascist who belongs in jail. Koigi Wamwere who knows the art and science of political constituencies carved out in the name of "settling squatters" must understand that Ntimama is his peoples land watchdog just as Koigi is Subukia peoples land protector.

In calling for respect, Ntimama asked for the striking of a balance between expansion of immigrant settler farms, stopping the degradation of Mau Narok & Maasai Mara and safeguarding the local Maasai pastoralist lifestyle- including their grazing land and watering holes. I don't think he was asking too much. His pin-pointing of a specific community for blame could have been political, but I don't know the amount & context of data he(Ntimama) posseses to verify his claims.

Coming to Ole Ntutu who is now being used (as was previously done by the Mois and Nyachaes) to help settle in wealthy politicos into Narok's lucrative Tourism & large scale ( commercial) farming interests, he has a political career to build and he hopes to boost his profile by trading indigenous pastoral land for his personal & political fortunes. He is simply selling his peoples rights to gain favour with the government in his quest to out-lodge Ntimama in the greater Narok as the political bigman.

Take a glance of how much land is owned in Narok by the large scale Barley and Wheat commercial farmers, Moi, Nyachae, Chief Koriata, Ole Ntutu et al;

www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=2189

Ntimama's concerns are quite valid and he must be really bold to voice them out. Traditional pastoral land for herding cattle, is being converted into commercial farms at an alarming rate, especially after the setting up of a wheat procesing plant in Loita, Narok.

Wealthy friends of the Kibaki government are setting up Tourist Lodges and camps in the Mara Reserve mostly located near watering places along the Tarek and Mara rivers for picturesque & sightful landscapes.

What happens to the Maasai? They feel such Investors are interfering with their ancestral watering holes and obstructing their access and that of their livestock to water. The water is getting polluted too from waste from the Lodges. A community's lifestyle is under real threat.

Political redistricting and reshaping of Narok district's boundaries with concomitant settling of immigrant subsistence farmers could alter the regions demographics. Finance Minister Amos Kimunya's 400 million shilling "relocation of squatters" allocation had in mind Rift Valley's displaced land clash victims. You can guess who is in Kimunya's list and where they are heading in view of the abolished Narok district land contol boards (coincidentally Kimunya is former Lands & Settlement Minister)

Like the Moi era settling of the Kipsigis in Mulot, Narok, which is now Kalenjin territory, another inward wave of a sitting President's community has set eyes on Maasai land. They are moving in.

Demand for construction material and wood fuel is causing rapid deforestation. Rainfall levels are projected to decline with rising river beds.That is indication of how many settlers are putting up new structures. Fencing off of demarcated ranches meant for settling in the new "squatters" is not only reducing Maasai grazing land but interfering with the flow of herds.

An environmental perspective;

allafrica.com/stories/200606121009.html

Since the colonial days, the Maasai have been perennially on the loosing end from all cases of land disputes. They have suffered in the hands of land grabbers to the detriment of their pastoralist lifestyle. From lopsided colonial treaties, post-colonial displacement, Kenyatta's invasion, Moi's invasion, renewal of the Laikipia accord, ,..........to Likia clashes and government thrashing, & now Kibaki's politically linked grabbing schemes.

unedited.

Job.

[politicalmaniac]

Ntimama call is a calculated one.
Watch the way its going to be used in the Nakuru by-election.
Very telling!

[roughrider]

job said:

Is anyone here assuming that Hon. William Ole Ntimama has suddenly gone out of step? Then you probably don't understand the man at all.

Ntimama is as consistent as ever. He is a vocal Maasai land-rights activist and a politician riding on that very crusade as Roughrider has pointed. His message is crisp clear, despite being marred by claims of aggressive tone & language.

Beside ethnic stereotyping of the entire Kikuyu community, which is wrong, his stand on Maasai land matters remains consistently accurate. His stance on tribalism should be refocused directly to its origin and engine today,....Mwai Kibaki, a man who has propagated ethnic favouritism and tribalism to levels never seen before in Kenya. When he dared the looters surrounding Kibaki to arrest him - he was playing politics as it is in Kenya today, thanks to Kibaki himself.

Lets face it, land matters are very sensitive. Origins of many conflicts in the developing world can be traced to disputes over land. Such conflicts are accentuated in response to the increasing control of economic and political institutions by a small elite and privileged class who oversee; the widening inequality and poverty among certain communities; the destruction of traditional & indigenous lifestyles through commercial intrusion; degradation of natural resources in pursuit for money; and failure to strike a balance with social responsibility.

Mossad has given some insider (Narok) perspective on this sensitive land matter, from his side's view. I take particular note of his description of Ntimama as a good man and I'll quote his (Mossad's) parting statement,..... " Ole Ntimama's fight on my part is good, a lot has to be done to keep the communty together and further divisions will just alter development for the Maasai who have a lot to lose from these divisions."

If Narok South is the economic heart of the greater Narok, yet comprising mostly of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve and Wheat & Barley farms owned by just a handful of wealthy tycoons - why carve it out ,.......while leaving Ntimama's Narok South crumbled with the rest of the poorer pastoralist Maasais without any lucrative economic activity? That's potential for socio-economic disaster which Ntimama has correctly read and predicted. Anybody sympathetic to the Maasai cause understands this without doubt.

This is obviously a calculated attempt at robbing the greater Maasai community of the little revenue earning potential from Tourism (at Mara), besides locking them out of the more fertile Narok South reserved for wealthy-immigrant Wheat and Barley farmers. Revenue collected from tourists will in essence go to Narok South, away fro majority Maasais who will remain in poor Narok North since remember,......the yet to be created Narok South district is intended to be inhabited by just a handful of owners of vast tracts like Chief Ole Koriata (close to100,000 acres) Ole Ntutu who is Kibaki's crony in Narok and Ntimama's underdog rival(> 10,000 acres), Nyachae ( 4,000 acres), Moi, Saitoti, Kibaki & such folks.

Any mindful politician representing his peoples interests, like Ntimama, would resist such mischief, ladden with extreme socio-economic and political consequences. I can bet you that Ntimama would gain utmost respect from his Maasai people with regard to his accurate reading of mischief in the creation of a political district for Ole Ntutu's Narok South.

Of course in the world of the offending interests with grabbing intentions, Ntimama is viewed as a fascist who belongs in jail. Koigi Wamwere who knows the art and science of political constituencies carved out in the name of "settling squatters" must understand that Ntimama is his peoples land watchdog just as Koigi is Subukia peoples land protector.

In calling for respect, Ntimama asked for the striking of a balance between expansion of immigrant settler farms, stopping the degradation of Mau Narok & Maasai Mara and safeguarding the local Maasai pastoralist lifestyle- including their grazing land and watering holes. I don't think he was asking too much. His pin-pointing of a specific community for blame could have been political, but I don't know the amount & context of data he(Ntimama) posseses to verify his claims.

Coming to Ole Ntutu who is now being used (as was previously done by the Mois and Nyachaes) to help settle in wealthy politicos into Narok's lucrative Tourism & large scale ( commercial) farming interests, he has a political career to build and he hopes to boost his profile by trading indigenous pastoral land for his personal & political fortunes. He is simply selling his peoples rights to gain favour with the government in his quest to out-lodge Ntimama in the greater Narok as the political bigman.

Take a glance of how much land is owned in Narok by the large scale Barley and Wheat commercial farmers, Moi, Nyachae, Chief Koriata, Ole Ntutu et al;

www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=2189

Ntimama's concerns are quite valid and he must be really bold to voice them out. Traditional pastoral land for herding cattle, is being converted into commercial farms at an alarming rate, especially after the setting up of a wheat procesing plant in Loita, Narok.

Wealthy friends of the Kibaki government are setting up Tourist Lodges and camps in the Mara Reserve mostly located near watering places along the Tarek and Mara rivers for picturesque & sightful landscapes.

What happens to the Maasai? They feel such Investors are interfering with their ancestral watering holes and obstructing their access and that of their livestock to water. The water is getting polluted too from waste from the Lodges. A community's lifestyle is under real threat.

Political redistricting and reshaping of Narok district's boundaries with concomitant settling of immigrant subsistence farmers could alter the regions demographics. Finance Minister Amos Kimunya's 400 million shilling "relocation of squatters" allocation had in mind Rift Valley's displaced land clash victims. You can guess who is in Kimunya's list and where they are heading in view of the abolished Narok district land contol boards (coincidentally Kimunya is former Lands & Settlement Minister)

Like the Moi era settling of the Kipsigis in Mulot, Narok, which is now Kalenjin territory, another inward wave of a sitting President's community has set eyes on Maasai land. They are moving in.

Demand for construction material and wood fuel is causing rapid deforestation. Rainfall levels are projected to decline with rising river beds.That is indication of how many settlers are putting up new structures. Fencing off of demarcated ranches meant for settling in the new "squatters" is not only reducing Maasai grazing land but interfering with the flow of herds.

An environmental perspective;

allafrica.com/stories/200606121009.html

Since the colonial days, the Maasai have been perennially on the loosing end from all cases of land disputes. They have suffered in the hands of land grabbers to the detriment of their pastoralist lifestyle. From lopsided colonial treaties, post-colonial displacement, Kenyatta's invasion, Moi's invasion, renewal of the Laikipia accord, ,..........to Likia clashes and government thrashing, & now Kibaki's politically linked grabbing schemes.

unedited.

Job.

Thanks Job;

It is clear that you understand what the issues here are. Thanks for articulating so simply and clearly what I was struggling to point out.

I think that Kenyans need a truth and reconciliation commission headed by truly eminent people, beyond reproach, so that the simmering discontent that communities have harbored regarding land and other rights can be dealt with once and for all.

It behoves us - in fora such as Jukwaa - to rise above petty tribalism and political opportunism to make tangible suggestions on the way forward.