However, due to the impacts of climate change, they are now facing a shift in their diet; fish. Recent prolonged droughts in Kenya have decimated millions of livestock, leaving the Maasai to reconsider their food sources.
Though Maasai elders hope to return to their traditional herding practices, some are gradually adapting to fish, a food they had never embraced before.
Fish, once seen as part of the snake family due to their shape and considered inedible, were unfamiliar and unappealing to them with their unusual odor, particularly for those who inhabit Kenya’s semi-arid regions.
Kelena ole Nchoi, chair of the Maasai Council of Elders, explained, “Fish was very foreign to us. We grew up seeing our elders eat cows and goats because we never lived near lakes or oceans.”
For the Maasai and other pastoralist communities in Kenya and East Africa, such as the Samburu, Somali, and Borana, cattle symbolize status, wealth, and are integral to cultural traditions like dowries in marriages.
However, the recent severe droughts in East Africa have left cattle carcasses scattered across dry lands.
By early 2023, Kenya’s National Drought Management Authority reported the death of 2.6 million livestock, valued at 226 billion Kenyan shillings ($1.75 billion).
Due to urbanization and population growth, grazing land is shrinking, pushing pastoralist communities to find alternative means of survival.
In Kajiado county near Nairobi, the local government is promoting fish farming initiatives for pastoralists and encouraging them to embrace fish in their diets.
Charity Oltinki, like many Maasai women, once focused on beadwork while her husband managed their livestock.
However, the severe drought wiped out nearly 100 of their cattle, leaving only 50 sheep out of their original 300.
Faced with barren lands and no grazing options, Charity Oltinki decided to shift her focus to fish farming, setting aside land to rear fish.
Supported by the local government, she received pond liners, tilapia fingerlings, and fish feed. With savings from a cooperative loan, she dug a well to counter water shortages.
After six months, her first fish harvest proved successful, with some selling for up to 300 Kenyan shillings ($2.30).
Similarly, Philipa Leiyan, another Maasai community member, began fish farming alongside livestock.
“We embraced the fish farming project as an alternative source of livelihood,” Leiyan declared.
Initiated by the Kajiado county government in 2014, the project has expanded to include 600 pastoralists, up from 250 before the severe drought in 2022, helping them diversify income and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Benson Siangot, Kajiado county’s director of fisheries, noted that the program addresses food insecurity and malnutrition alongside supporting alternative livelihoods.
The Maasai’s deep connection to cattle is mirrored by the Samburu, a northern Kenyan ethnic group that also speaks a Maa dialect. However, the drought has forced the Samburu to adapt as well, turning to camels.
In Lekiji village, 65-year-old Abdulahi Mohamud, who lost 30 cattle during the drought, now cares for 20 camels, recognizing them as more resilient animals during long dry periods.
“Camels are easier to rear since they feed on shrubs and endure harsh conditions,” he said. A small camel costs between 80,000 and 100,000 Kenyan shillings ($600 to $770), compared to cows priced at 20,000 to 40,000 ($154 to $300).
Seeing the value in camels’ resilience, Mohamud deemed them worth the investment. Nearby, 26-year-old Musalia Piti tended to his father’s 60 camels.
After losing 50 cattle to the drought, the family shifted to camels, which they can sell when they need cows for traditional ceremonies, such as dowries.
“Cows are essential for wedding ceremonies, even though our herds are smaller now,” Samburu elder Lesian Ole Sempere, 59, explained.
Offering a cow to a bride’s family ensures they recognize the union, declaring the woman as “your official wife,” he added.