Diversification, Experimentation, and Adaptation: Pastoralists in Communal Governance of Resources and Livelihoods Strategies

This paper presents a discussion of the communal tenure system in Olkiramatian, a group ranch in the southern rangelands of Kenya which has granted the residents the flexibility and choice to pursue diversification alternatives that demand open landscapes. The local governance system, on the other hand, has provided an institutional framework for apportioning land and resources to divergent economic practices, and for collectively overseeing and managing livelihoods activities.  In contrast to other Maasai areas where land is individually owned, people in Olkiramatian have the added benefit of engaging in “collective” land use activities, such as conservation and eco-tourism. At this community level, the residents jointly own and manage the land, which, they are also using to experiment on emerging economic opportunities.