The Samburu
Community
Protocol about
the Samburu
Indigenous
Livestock Breeds
and their
Rights to their
Indigenous
Livestock Genetic
Resources and
Role in Global
Biodiversity
Management
Any newcomer to our areas must first establish a meeting with the local
elders to explain what and who they intend to engage with and to answer
any questions put to them. The committee of the respective group ranch
will either take a decision, or if it is about a common resource, may seek
wider counsel from other elders.
CHALLENGES
Like everyone in Kenya, we are suffering greatly from the reoccurring
droughts that are debilitating the country. As pastoralists living in close
dependence with the environment, we are highly sensitive to climatic
variation and have a clear picture of the effects of climate change. We
have witnessed in the last decade a steady worsening in rainfall, such
that this year is the worst drought conditions that any of us have seen
in our lifetimes. We are being pushed to the absolute limits of existence.
Climate change is forcing us to face a number of interlinked challenges
that are compounding each other.
1. Our herds and flocks are being decimated through lack of pasture
and water. Most noticeable though is the fact that the exotic breeds
are dying at a much higher rate than our indigenous breeds.
2. Government-backed breeding schemes promoted exotic breeds, informing us that they would produce better than our breeds. As a
result, we introduced the Dorper sheep into our herds, neglecting
our own indigenous breed. As noted above, we are now deeply concerned about the viability of exotic breeds in the region due to climate change. The depletion of our indigenous breeds and the low
numbers of pure bred rams leads us to be concerned that we will
have difficulties reviving the herds and flocks of indigenous breeds.
3. An increase in diseases,
that are disproportionately affecting our exotic
breeds, is further depleting our livestock numbers.
Moreover, our traditional
medicine is less attuned
to treat exotic breeds,
making us more dependent on external inputs of
drugs and veterinarians
that also cost us money.
4. Our children are learning
less about our traditional
knowledge because of a
number of factors including the reduction of ac-
8
our children learn about our traditional
knowledge through practice.