By Kizito Makoye
NGORONGORO, Tanzania | 8 December 2024 (IDN) — On the rolling plains of Ngorongoro, 74-year-old Maria Shauri knelt among a sea of red, blue, and purple shawls, her arms raised in prayer. “God, hear us,” she muttered, her breath visible in the cold air. Each word escaped her lips in a puff of vapor, blending with the chilly morning. Her cracking voice, filled with anguish, mumbled as she pleaded for divine intervention.
Her prayer encapsulates the anguish of a community grappling with a profound dilemma: preserving their heritage in a land increasingly claimed for conservation. Around her, a crowd of deeply agitated Maasai men, women and children in their thousands echoed her plea, their collective despair rippling across the sprawling savanna. The tearful elderly woman, her elongated earlobes—a symbol of her cultural heritage—bitterly cried as she pondered the uncertain future of her grandchildren in a community on the wobbly edge of survival.
“We’re humans, not cattle to be herded from one pasture to another,” she said amid cries from the crowd chanting, “Restore our land, restore our dignity!”
For decades, the Maasai—a semi-nomadic ethnic group straddling northern Tanzania and southern Kenya—lived in harmony with wildlife in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its pristine nature and ecological significance. However, this harmony came under attack in 2022 when the government introduced strict environmental protection policies, forcing 9600 (8%) Maasai pastoralists to relocate to Msomera, a parched village 300 miles away. Officials justified the relocation by arguing that the growing Maasai population in NCA threatens fragile ecosystems and wildlife habitats. But their approach has faced sharp criticism, with measures such as restricting cattle grazing, cutting off water supplies, and curtailing essential services clashing with the Maasai’s livelihoods and cultural identity.
Between 2021 and 2024, nearly 4 billion Tanzanian shillings (US$1.5 million earmarked for social services in Ngorongoro district vanished from its intended purpose, redirected to other regions without explanation. Among the funds, 355.5 million shillings, (US$136,538) allocated for development projects under COVID-19 relief, were quietly funnelled to Handeni District Council. This transfer, allegedly carried out without the consent of Ngorongoro District Council members, has left residents questioning the transparency and accountability of the process.
“Our children are overcrowded in schools, but we’re not allowed to build more classrooms,” said Shutuk Ole Makoto, a local councillor in Ngorongoro.
He pointed to a lack of basic healthcare as another pressing issue. “Pregnant women are forced to give birth without proper facilities because maternity wards don’t exist. Our community is struggling,” Makoto told Watetezi TV, a local online television.
Rising frustration
By August 2024, frustration boiled over. Over 40,000 Maasai pastoralists in Ngorongoro staged protests against systemic neglect that had left them without water, functioning schools, healthcare, or even the right to vote. Their plight became a powerful symbol of a broader struggle to preserve their cultural identity and ancestral land.
Tourists drawn to Ngorongoro’s breathtaking beauty found themselves unexpected witnesses to a deeply human struggle playing out against a backdrop of sweeping savanna and grazing wildlife.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area spans 8,292 square kilometres, a delicate balancing act between ecological preservation and human settlement. While the government argues that limiting permanent construction and farming protects the ecosystem, critics say such measures come at a steep human cost.
A 2023 survey by the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC)—the leading advocacy group in east Africa revealed significant neglect of basic services in the area. At schools across Ngorongoro, students grapple with a dire lack of basic infrastructure, from overcrowded classrooms to an acute shortage of dormitories and toilets. The strain is most visible in the dorms, where more than two students often share a single bed due to insufficient sleeping spaces. At Enduleni Primary School, the challenges are particularly stark—1,600 students rely on just a handful of facilities, with the school falling short by 42 toilets, leaving children to navigate daily routines under deeply challenging conditions.
Many viewed the restrictions on water access and livestock sales as deliberate tactics to pressure Maasai families to relocate.
“Conservation should not come at the expense of human rights,” said Advocate Onesmo Olengurumwa, THRDC’s National Coordinator. He emphasized the need for inclusive solutions that respect the Maasai’s heritage while protecting the environment.
A turning point
The August protests drew national attention, prompting President Samia Suluhu Hassan to intervene. She dispatched senior ministers to Ngorongoro and, in December 2024, met with traditional Maasai leaders in Arusha and proposed the formation of two commissions to examine the controversial relocation scheme as well as providing advice on best way to resolve recurrent land disputes in the Ngorongoro division.
“The President has ordered the restoration of water, healthcare, and education services,” announced Minister of State in President’s Office( Parliament and Coordination) William Lukuvi during a public meeting. This marked a turning point, offering a glimmer of hope to a community battered by years of neglect.
Olengurumwa praised the President’s actions as historic. “This engagement is a significant milestone toward resolving the complex challenges facing Maasai community in Ngorongoro and Loliondo,” he said, reiterating the need for an independent, inclusive commission to address the issues comprehensively.
Lingering challenges
In Nasipolio village, where the vast savannah dotted with Acacia trees, meets the horizon, community leader Akunai Olenakota spoke with tempered optimism. “We’ve seen improvements—not entirely satisfying, but a step forward,” he said, referring to the Tanzania shillings 78 million (US$30,000) earmarked for renovating a wornout Ndiya Primary School.
Solar-powered systems have also brought water and electricity to schools like Ngorongoro Girls School, brightening classrooms and enabling students to study after dark. “We now have brighter classrooms,” said Acting NCAA Director Benezeth Bukizu.
Despite these steps, progress remains uneven. Local NGOs like the Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC) still face hurdles in implementing projects. “Restrictive laws make even basic logistics feel like an uphill battle,” said Meleu Alais, a program officer at PWC.
For the Maasai, who have endured forced relocations, eroding trust in authorities, and economic hardships, these steps forward have been received with skepticism. “There’s nothing voluntary about this relocation,” said Kasale Mwanaikemwana, a young Maasai activist. “Many of us were driven out by desperation, not opportunity.”
Cautious optimism
In villages like Endulen, frustration persists. Schools are overcrowded, hospitals lack medicines, and infrastructure is crumbling. Endulen Hospital, run by the Catholic Church, struggles with funding shortages.
“We need more than piecemeal interventions,” said Alais.
Still, a shift in tone from the NCAA offers cautious optimism. “We’ve identified key areas of improvement, including renovating schools and constructing new buildings,” Bukizu said.
For Maria and many others, the future is bleak but not without hope. Village boundaries, once erased from electoral processes, have been reinstated. “We now live peacefully, without fear,” said Moses Oleseki of Endulen village.
As reforms begin to take shape, the Maasai of Ngorongoro are reminded that their fight is far from over. Their voices, rising across the savanna, remain a powerful proof to a community determined to secure a future on its ancestral land. [IDN-InDepthNews]
Photo: National Coordinator of the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) Onesmo Olengurumwa (second from right) inspects a school in Ngorongoro during his recent visit. He’s franked by Lisa Kagaruki, a program Officer at THRDC and other local leaders. Courtesy THRDC.
