Hapo kuna kampuni nyingi za uwindaji ila hawa waarabu wanajeuri saana.
Thomson, Normad na Dorobo kidogo wanaiheshimu jamii inayoishi pale. Au tatizo ni nature ya mkataba?
The problem, besides the contract over the heads of the villages, is that for years OBC have kept lobbying for the alienation of a 1,500 km2 of important grazing land.
In 2009, together with the FFU, they were involved in brutal and very illegal evictions of the Maasai landowners.
In 2010-2011 they funded a district land use plan that proposed turning the 1,500 km2 that serve as their core hunting area into a “protected area”, so that the brutality of 2009 could be repeated in a “legal” way. This land use plan was rejected by the district council.
In 2013 Kagasheki tried to give OBC what they wanted via shameless lies that more than the whole of Loliondo in some mysterious way had turned into a protected area, and that the “landless” people would by “given” the land outside the 1,500 km2. These lies were stopped by Pinda in September the same year.
Loliondo has been like a police state for many years, and anyone who dares to speak up is threatened and called a “Kenyan”. In 2016 this got much worse with illegal arrests and malicious prosecution to silence everyone, and many were silenced.
In late 2016, OBC sent out a “report” about how “destructive” the Maasai are, endangering the environment and the hunting business. Majaliwa decided to “solve the conflict”, and Arusha RC Gambo set up a select committee that presented a compromise proposal to Majaliwa on 20th April 2017. Maghembe aggressively lobbied for the 1,500 km2 “protected area”.
While everyone was still waiting for Majaliwa’s decision, on 13th August 2017, village land per Village Land Act No.5 of 1999 was illegally invaded by Serengeti and NCA rangers, assisted by local police, and OBC and KDU rangers, that burned down hundreds of bomas, committed crimes like rape and beatings, illegally arrested herders and seized cattle, and blocked access to water.
The illegal operation wasn’t stopped until 26th October when Kigwangalla had become minister of natural resources and tourism.
Sensationally, Kigwangalla also announced that OBC would have left before January 2018, and would never be given another hunting block. He said that OBC’s director, Isaack Mollel would be investigated for corruption. This was logical after having seen the destructive syndicate at the service of these hunters, but somewhat naïve, since so many years with such bad behaviour clearly shows that OBC have powerful friends.
OBC didn’t show any signs whatsoever of packing.
On 6th December 2017 Majaliwa announced his decision that was a big disappointment. Instead of respecting the village land he had decided that a legal bill would be prepared to set up a “special authority” to manage the land. What this means is very unclear.
Majaliwa also said that OBC would stay, but that Mollel would be removed as the director.
So far Mollel continues as the director…
The other companies you mention aren’t involved in hunting, but that doesn’t mean that they are more respectful of local people’s land rights.
Thomson Safaris have the same friends as OBC and very aggressively, with thousands of dollars on lawyers, online reputation management, “charity”, and whatever, claim ownership of 12,617 acres that they bought from TBL that cultivated some barley for a few years in the 80s and then got a certificate of occupancy in a very irregular way in 2003. For years Thomson, together with the police were harassing, arresting and beating the legitimate landowners for trespassing. Apparently, they have stopped that now (though people are also too intimidated to report what’s going on), but they still claim ownership. As far as I know, a case is still in the court of appeal.
Buffalo Luxury Camp, now called Taaasa Lodge, in the same way, but less aggressively (sometimes saying that they will return the land) and of a smaller area (60 acres) claim to be landowners. They are currently involved in some strange behaviour that I need to find out more about.
AndBeyond/Klein’s Camp have a contract with the village of Ololosokwan, and are not currently claiming to own land, but aren’t unproblematic.