SUMMARY

The Rift Valley Province of Kenya is home to many ethnic groups and is one of the most densely populated areas of Kenya. Cattle-raiding has a long tradition in the region. With the increased availability of modern weapons, cattle raids became more violent and deadly. Tribal clashes can furthermore be characterized by a circular pattern since in order to assure survival, raided tribes must retaliate against other tribes to replenish lost livestock. For the Maasai, cattle raiding has an additional importance: according to their belief, all cattle were given to them by their rain god Ngai. Consequently, they consider all cattle as their property.

Aside from the tensions caused by cattle raiding, another factor having a negative influence on inter-ethnic relations are land disputes. In Kenya, access to land is central for most people. Different systems, corruption, and other problems have led to many areas having double or triple registrations over the same land. This struggle for land is especially important in the densely populated Rift Valley Province. The Maasai sees the south of the valley as part of their ancient homeland and feels that they should have control over it. However, the first Kenyan president Jomo Kenyatta gave land in this region to many Kikuyu. The reason to do so was twofold: to reward warriors that had taken part in the struggle for independence and to avoid the continuation of a Kikuyu civil war over land in the Central Province.

A further characteristic of this conflict is the cross-border dimension. The homeland of the Maasai is split between Kenya and Tanzania. This allows Maasai warriors to hide and rest in Tanzania when needed.

The non-state conflict between the Kikuyu and Maasai is first included in UCDP data in 1993. In October of that year fighting between the two groups had resulted in more than 25 battle-related deaths.