Inequality, drought and the deadly fight for precious grazing land in Kenya

“I looked at my house and felt sad that Kenya, which I regard as home, has got into such a state,” he said.
An unknown number of the tribesmen who illegally drove tens of thousands of cattle on to privately owned estates have also been killed in clashes with security forces.
There have long been tensions over land and grazing in the region.
One reason for the violence is drought, which the Kenyan government said in October was affecting about 1.3 million people.
But ranchers like Constant said previous droughts had not caused such problems.
“The difference this time is a number of politicians who promised 10,000 pastoralists with 500,000 head of cattle that if they came here and drove us out they would get to keep the land,” he said.
Paula Kahumbu, one of Kenya’s leading conservationists, said that although “white landowners might have an argument, they would not get much sympathy from many Kenyans”.
Constant said the white farmers were victims of “inverse racism” and “old prejudices”.
Gallmann was trying to assess damage caused by herders who had burned down one of her lodges when she was attacked.
As long as people think there has been an injustice, there will be a problem.”

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