A dispute over land use is emerging in northern Tanzania, pitting the government’s tourism development plans against the interests of the Maasai people. The contested area centers on Lake Natron, a vital breeding ground for lesser flamingos, and the nearby Ol’doinyo Lengai volcano. The Maasai consider parts of this region their ancestral land, but the government’s establishment of the Pololeti Game Reserve in 2022 has already forced the eviction of thousands of people.
Nesikar Daudi, a 36‑year‑old Maasai woman, was compelled to flee her home when the reserve was created. “We suffered a lot because of this takeover. We lost our livestock, and bulldozers demolished our homes,” she recalls. Since the 1990s, Tanzania has expanded protected areas by 20 %, but Maasai lawyer and activist Joseph Oleshengay argues that this strategy is driven by economic interests rather than conservation. “The idea is to empty these territories so they can be turned into something that makes money,” he says.
The government operates under a law that allows land to be reclassified if it serves the “public interest,” giving the head of state significant power to decide the fate of entire areas without consulting local communities. Tanzania’s protected‑area system includes game‑controlled areas and wildlife‑management areas, each with different rules and impacts on locals. Game reserves like Pololeti, however, are completely off‑limits to human presence.
Lake Natron is already classified as a game‑controlled area, with four hunting blocks leased to private companies. Nevertheless, the Tanzanian Wildlife Management Authority has imposed movement restrictions on local communities despite the area not being formally designated as a game reserve. Authorities have also targeted essential health services, revoking the flight permits of the Flying Medical Service, a non‑profit that provided free healthcare to around 30,000 patients annually.
The consequences have been severe. Nalotwesha, a 28‑year‑old Maasai woman, suffered two strokes and could not receive timely medical care because the Flying Medical Service was shut down, leaving her partially paralyzed. The Maasai community fears that the government’s plan to turn Lake Natron into a hunting reserve will trigger another mass eviction, further restricting their access to land and resources.
The dispute highlights the challenges faced by pastoralist communities in Tanzania, who are vulnerable to the expansion of protected areas and the imposition of movement restrictions. Balancing tourism development with the needs and rights of the Maasai—who have lived in the area for generations—is essential. The outcome will have significant implications for the future of the Maasai community and the conservation of Tanzania’s natural resources.
Comments are closed for this story.