Land alienation, land tenure and tourism in the Maasailand, Kenya

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Periodical article

Title:	Land alienation, land tenure and tourism in the Maasailand, Kenya
Author:	Ondicho, Tom G.
Year:	2005
Periodical:	Mila: a Journal of the Institute of African Studies
Volume:	6
Pages:	64-72
Language:	English
Notes:	biblio. refs.
Geographic terms:	Kenya East Africa
Subjects:	expropriation land conflicts Maasai land tenure customary law tourism Economics, Commerce
Abstract:	In present-day Kenya, government wildlife policies focus narrowly on tourism development in Masailand without any involvement of the Masai in the management decisions and utilization of natural resources. Lack of appreciation for the status of land in local cultures by both the government and foreign tourism investors has created a situation in which land is a volatile political issue. Alienated from their main economic activity, nomadic pastoralism, the Masai have been subjected to poverty. This paper examines the history of land alienation in Masailand from the 20th century onward, the nature of indigenous land tenure, and selected causes of contemporary conflicts over foreign tourist industry investment in land. In conclusion, the paper presents recommendations for the problem of land claims and planning for local group participation in tourism development. Bibliogr., sum. [ASC Leiden abstract]