Impact of Involuntary Resettlement on Livestock Production and Performance Among the Maasai Pastoralists of Rapland Village, Olkaria Kenya

Abstract

After securing funding to expand geothermal energy generation at Olkaria area, the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) relocated 155 Maasai pastoral households into a new area-RAPland village after impact assessment and negotiations. Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs) are inadequately planned and executed, PAPs are impoverished due to loss of livelihoods. Effect of relocation on livestock production and performance among the resettled pastoral communities was achieved by assessment of livestock populations and productions, livestock production challenges, coping mechanisms before and after the relocation, and evaluation of rangeland resources in RAPland village. A household questionnaires were administered to 105 households, three focus group discussions (FGD), six key informants (KII) interviews, and field observation were conducted. Livestock populations, cows and youngstock, and daily mean milk yield were significantly (P<0.05) affected by the relocation. Household means livestock holding (TLU) decreased from 75.74 ±8.83, 15.49 ±1.78, 5.83 ±0.67, 1.46 ±0.22, and 0.14 ±0.02 to 26.37 ±8.30, 4.62 ±1.70, 2.5 ±0.63, 0.34 ±0.21 and 0.3 ±0.02 before and after the resettlement for cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, and poultry, respectively. Mean daily milk yield decreased from 3.8 ±0.19 to 2.4 ±0.19 litres per cow. Communal land reduced by 60%, pastures, water became insufficient in RAPland village. In conclusion, the relocation affected livestock production and performance among the resettled Maasai pastoral communities through reduced livestock populations and milk production, which consequentially affected household food and nutrition security. Future resettlement programs involving pastoral communities should factor in the carrying capacities of the areas being considered for the relocations.