Republic of Kenya
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!\ •\\.> REPUBLIC OF KENYA f I MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE • <ii I' ARID AND SEMI-ARID LANDS BRANCH 1 LAIKIPIA DIStRIGf A PRE-INVESTMENT STUDY ;; 0F ; V ( ••• i::!^ v'i' '•"-•- l>. I' HUMAN AND NATURAL RÉSOURCES •f I If VOLUME II •i Bi Chapter 2 - Rural Sociology, 1 Chapter 3 - Rural Economy I I f^f^vr «V 1983 Ji REPUBLIC OF KENYA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE o ARID AND SEMI-ARID LANDS BRANCH LAIKIPIA DISTRICT A PRE-INVESTMENT STUDY OF HUMAN AND NATURAL RESOURCES VOLUME II Chapter 2 - Rural Sociology Chapter 3 - Rural Economy 1983 CHAPTER 2 RURAL SOCIOLOGY Scanned from original by ISRIC - World Soil Information, as ICSU World Data Centre for Soils. The purpose is to make a safe depository for endangered documents and to make the accrued information available for consultation, following Fair Use Guidelines. Every effort is taken to respect Copyright of the materials within the archives where the identification of the Copyright holder is clear and, where feasible, to contact the originators. For questions please contact [email protected] indicating the item reference number concerned. ,2-i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 2.1 Introduction - 2-1 2.2 Objectives 2-3 2.3 Historical Background in Laikipia District 2-3 2.3.1 The Maasai and Their Origin 2-3 2.3.2 The Dorobo 2-5 2.3.3 The Maasai/Dorobo Way of Life 2-8 2.3 4 The Homestead 2-9 2.3.5 Maasai Food 2-10 2.3.6 Division of Labour 2-11 2.3.7 Age/Sex Division of Labour . 2-11 2.3.8 System of Government 2-15 2.3.9 Age-Set Systems 2-15 2.3.10 Initiation and Graduation 2-16 2.3.11 The Elders 2-17 2.3.12 The Laibon 2-17 2.4 . Livestock Management (Traditional) 2-18 2.4.1 Group Ranches 2-20 2.4.2 Reciprocity 2-20 2.5 The Maasai Reserves 2-21 2.5.1 Colonial Administration of Mukogodo 2-22 Division 2.5.2 Effects of Colonization on the Maasai 2-23 and Dorobo 2.5.3 The White Highlands 2-25 2.5.4 Squatter Labour 2-27 2.5.5 Dissolution of the White Highlands 2-29 2-ii Table of Contents (Cont'd) Page 2.5.6 Settlement Programmes 2-30 2.5.7 Types of Settlement Schemes 2-31 2.6 Population 2-36 2.6.1 Introduction 2-36 2.6.2 Growth Rate 2-41 2.6.3 Distribution 2-42 2.6.4 Population Composition 2-4 3 2.6.5 Sex Composition 2-49 2.7 Migration and Settlement Patterns and 2-51 Settlers' Characteristics 2.7.1 Types of Immigrants/Settlers/ 2-51 Land Buyers 2.7.2 Migration and Settlement Patterns 2-53 2.7.3 Rural-Urban Migration 2-53 2.7.4 Out-Migration 2-54 2.7.5 Fertility, Mortality, and Morbidity 2-54 2.7.6 Mortality Causes by the Top Seven 2-55 Diseases—1981 2.7.7 Morbidity Causes by Top Seven 2-55 Diseases—1981 2.7.8 Population Projections 2-56 2.8 Settlers' Cultural and Social Characteristics 2-57 2.8.1 The Large-scale Farmers 2-57 2.8.2 The Small-Scale Farmers 2-58 .2.8.3 The New Settlers' Cultural and Social 2-59 Characteristics 2.8.4 The Clan System 2-59 2-iii Table of Contents (Cont'd) • T Page 2.8.5 The Traditional Political Structures .- 2-60 2.8.6 Land Ownership and Tenure 2-62 2.8.7 Land Adjudication 2-64 2.8.8 Farmers' Social Characteristics 2-66 2.9 Constraints on Smallholding 2-81 2.9.1 Problems Affecting Families 2-81 2.9.2 Capital Availability—Credit 2-81 Facilities 2.9.3 Off-Farm Employment 2-81 2.9.4 Farm Size and Poor Farming and 2-82 Livestock Husbandry Techniques 2.9.5 Large Families 2-82 2.9.6. Unavailability of Labour 2-83 2.9.7 Food and Nutrition 2-83 2.9.8 Water 2-84 2.9.9 Housing 2-85 2.9.10 Firewood .2-85 2.9.11 Medical Facilities 2-86 2.9.12 Education and Training Facilities 2-86 2.9.13 Youth Centres 2-87 2.9.14 Lack of Economic Institutions " 2-88 2.9.15 Lack of Sociological Institutions 2-92 2.9.16 Conclusion: The Settlers' Perceptions 2-92 2.10 Social Participating Groups 2-93 2.10.1 Self-Help Harambee Groups 2-93 2.10.2 Women's Groups 2-95 2.10.3 Types of Activities 2-96 2.10.4 Maendeleo Ya Wanawake 2-99 2-iv Table of Contents (Cont'd) page 2.10.5 Other Government and Voluntary 2-100 Welfare Organizations 2.11 The Infrastructure 2-103 2.11.1 Health Centres 2-104 2.11.2 Dispensary Type I 2-104 2.11.3 Dispensary Type II 2-105 2.11.4- Health Manpower 2-105 2.11.5 Education 2-107 2.11.6 Examination 2-111 2.11.7 Existing School Building Structures 2-112 2.11.8 Adult Education 2-113 2.11.9 Change Agents 2-116 2.11.10 Government Officials 2—116 2.11.11 Constraints 2-118 2.12 Recommendations and Project Proposals 2-120 2.12.1 Basic Needs Activities (BNA) 2-121 2.12.2 The Rural Access Roads Programme 2-124 2.12.3 Informal Sector 2-126 2.12.4 Major Activities in the Rural . ' 2-127 Informal Sector 2.12.5 The Integrated Agricultural 2-127 Development'Programme 2.12.6 The Rural Water Supply Programme 2-129 2.12.7 The Universal Adult Literacy 2-129 Programme 2.12.8 The Rural Health Development 2-130 Project 2.13 Infrastructural Projects Proposed for Project 2-131 Area Bibliography 2-135 2-v LIST OP TABLES Page 2-1 Age/Sex Roles in Livestock Management 2-14 Percentage of Tasks Done by Various Age/Sex Group 2-2 Age/Sex Roles in Domestic Activities - 2-15 (Percentage of Tasks Done by Age/ Sex Groups) 2-3 Approximate Age for Maasai Age Groups 2-18 2-4 Government Settlement Schemes in Laikipia 2-37 2-5 Laikipia District Cooperative/Society 2-38 Farms Already Subdivided 2-6 Comparative Population Figures 1923 - 1983 2-40 2-7 Population by Sex and Sub-Location - 1979 2-44 2-8 Estimated Population by Location - 19 83 2-4 5 2-9 Population by Sex and Single Years of Age 2-4 6 2-10 Economically Active Population 2-4 7 2-11 Population Participation Rates 2-49 2-12 Sex Ratio by Age Group 2-50 2-13 Population Projection for the Laikipia 2-57 District 2-14 Population by Sex, Tribe or National Group 2-61 2-15 State of Land Adjudication in Mukogodo 2-65 Division 2-16 Population by Sex, 5-Year Age Group, Education 2-68 2-17 Population by Sex, 5-Year Age Group and School Attendance 2-69 2-18 Age/Sex Roles in Farming Activities 2-72 2-19 " * . 2-19 Age/Sex Roles in Domestic Activities 2-73 2-20 Length of Classified & Unclassified Roads 2-89 2-21 Women's Groups in the District 2-97 2-22 Activities Engaged in by Women's Groups 2-98 2-vi List of Tables (Cont'd) Page 2-23 4K Clubs in the District 2-102 2-24 Population Health Facility Ratio 2-104 2-25 Population Per Dispensary 2-105 2-26 Health Manpower 2-106 2-27 Population Per Doctor/Nurse 2-107 2-28 Existing Educational Basic Need Structure ' 2-108 2-29 Nursery Schools 2-108 2-30 Village Polytechnics 2-109 2-31 Secondary Schools 2-109 2-32 Primary School Teachers 2-110 2-33 Adult Education in Laikipia 2-114 2-34 Comparison Between RARP and Conventional 2-125 . Road Construction 19 77/78 2-35 Proposed Primary Schools 2-131 2-36 Proposed Secondary Schools 2-132 2-37 Proposed Craft Training Centres 2-133 2-38 Health Facilities 2-134 2-vii LIST OF MAPS PAGE 2-1 Estimated Population Distribution 2-43a 2-2 Social Services • 2-88a î 2-1 ; I X 2.1 INTRODUCTION Laikipia District is occupied by a heterogeneous mixture of peoples from almost every part of Kenya; however, the majority of the population is made up of Kikuyu, Kalenjin, Turkana, Meru, Samburu, Boran, etc. The rest of the population is made up of the pastoral Mukogodo Maasai and the Dorobo. A small percentage of the non-African population is Asian traders. A small remnant of white settlers (who are still holding onto their farms and ranches) are managers employed by other farmers. The African population moved into the District after the exit of the white settlers who had dominated the District's economy since the onset of colonization and up to the time Kenya became an independent nation. The settlers' mode of agriculture during their occupation was plantation type of farming and ranching on large well managed farms. These were maintained through a labour force obtained from neighbouring Districts especially Nyeri. This approach along with subsidized extension services from the colonies' coffers made Laikipia a major producer of beef, dairy products, and cereals. African hunger for land became apparent when the Laikipia District was opened up for African occupation and the Kenyan Nationals moved in large numbers to take up the ; 2-2 land.