Description

Abstract: Pastoral sedentarization is a major trend in East Africa, and there is debate about its social and ecological costs. Here we discuss relationships between sedentarization and well-being for pastoral households in northern Kenya. We used survey data collected from six sites from March 2000 to October 2001 in addition to other information sources. There are varied degrees of sedentarization and complex relationships among vulnerability, sedentarization, mobility, and household income diversification. First, we find that sedentarization does not necessarily reflect a complete departure from pastoralism, nor does it always jeopardize pastoral production. Second, sedentarization does not always imply a loss of access to livestock, nor a lack of mobility for livestock owned by settled households if satellite camps are maintained. Third, there is a great deal of diversification into non-pastoral activities by members of households while other members can remain engaged in mobile pastoralism. Lastly, there is a need to distinguish between increased vulnerability to livestock loss and increased vulnerability to food insecurity when households become sedentary. Overall, we find that what is often labeled sedentarization need not be antithetical with pastoral production. Households show great adaptability and innovation in adopting non-pastoral activities without fully abandoning mobile pastoralism. Three key recommendations that assist pastoralists to maintain mobility and sustainable lifestyles are: 1) educational facilities closer to key grazing and watering points; 2) mobile para-vet services; and 3) land tenure policies that allow access to key resources critical to pastoralists.