Tanzania is risking Maasai population in parts of its territory bordering Kenya for tourism. The recent land grabbing by the government to benefit two foreign safari companies is resulting with fleeing of the herders who require land for grazing their animals.
In past several months the Maasai people have been evacuated from their houses in northern Tanzania’s Loliondo area, near the Ngorongoro Crater tourism hotspot. They are being denied access to the grazing ground.
A California-based think tank, Oakland Institute, has charged the John Magufuli government Thursday alleging people in the area are being wreaked havoc to benefit safari and game park schemes in the country.
Tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country and is adding significantly to the economy.
Oakland Institute’s Anuradha Mittal said indigenous communities around the world are currently being at risk.
Meanwhile, one of the two companies said the allegations against them are untrue and they are investing in Tanzania in good faith.
The Maasai people are cattle herders inhabiting the savannah in parts of Tanzania and Kenya. To maintain their pastoralist lifestyle they need land to graze their animals.
Head of the Tanzania Legal and Human Rights Centre, Hellen Kijo-Bisimba, said the Magufuli government is prioritizing safari groups and risking the indigenous communities.
She added, “The government has been reviewing boundaries and subsequently evicting communities in the name of conservation.”
