Assessing Returns to Land and Changing Livelihood Strategies in Kitengela

Abstract

ecosystem). The study area corresponds to Isinya Division (one of seven administrative units of Kajiado District). Neighbouring Nairobi, a city with a population estimated to be approaching 3 million, Kitengela is unique in that it supports a largeand long-distance wildlife migratory community (Fig. 4.1 ) that have lived alongside the resident Maasai for centuries. Nairobi National Park sits at the northernmost tip of Kitengela. This park is only 114 km 2 in size and is not large enough to support the 24 species of large mammals that exist in this ecosystem. Wildebeest, eland, giraffe and zebra migrate into and out of the park, accessing its water and abundant grass during the dry season and moving south into the open pastoral lands during the wet season when the calves are born (Reid et al., 2008 ). When Nairobi National Park was established in 1946, Kitengela Plains and the Ngong Hills were declared conservation areas. However, Kitengela was never formally gazetted. In the mid-1970s, the Kitengela group ranch was created, covering 18,292 ha, with 215 registered members (all Maasai). It was subdivided in 1988, giving roughly 250 acres each to 215 landowning households (Kristjanson et al., 2002) . This trend towards privatization was followed throughout Kajiado District. According to official records, in 2006, out of a total of 52 group ranches, subdivision is complete on 32 and is in progress on 15 of which 7 are in dispute and under court injunction (BurnSilver and Mwangi, 2006) . Only five group ranches have not started to subdivide. While the official record of the total number of group ranches in the district seems to vary from 56 in 2002 (Mwangi, 2003) to 52 in 2006, it is important to note that five other group ranches that had resolved not to subdivide in 2002 are now in the process of doing so.