Masai Background

Of Kenya’s 42 tribes, the Masai are one of the most well known, particularly since they offer a glimpse of traditional Kenyan culture, while the rest of the country strives for development and modernity; they continue to herd indigenous cows, goats, and sheep.  Though they have been pushed out of their ancestral grazing lands in the fertile Rift Valleys by farming tribes, Masai men wander in search of green pastures for their herds.  The women, who occupy a submissive role in Masai culture, remain in settlements known as manyattas to raise the children.

After being forced off their traditional home, the Masai became disparate, settling wherever grass and water could be found.  One of the places they settled is the industrial district of Athi River, 35 km Southeast of Nairobi and situated along the Mombasa Road, which connects the capital to the coastal center of Mombasa.  Factories, including the London Distillery and Banburi Cement, occupy much of the adjacent land. In 1993, a group of Masai congregated here and formed the Marimbeti Village. The land on which they live is owned by private investors, but goes unused, and the Masai have squatted on the land since they arrived.  Currently, there are approximately 2,000 Masai living in 8 separate manyattas throughout the region.