The Maasai community in Kajiado has accused Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers of extorting sex from Maasai women in exchange for grazing rights in the Kyulu Game Reserve, as well as torturing young boys caught in protected area, The Daily Nation reports. The accusations leveled against the KWS come amidst Maasai leaders’ call for access to the reserve as the drought continues to cripple pastoralist regions in East Africa. An investigation by The Daily Nation revealed that the abuses, which the Maasai describe as rape, are the result of a failed payoff scheme: herdsmen were previously paying kickbacks to the park rangers to allow them to graze their cattle; as the drought worsened, the Maasai no longer had resources for the payoff. Deputy KWS Director Paul Gathitu has pledged to investigate the abuse charges.
In a related development, officials at the Tsavo National Park announced on February 14 that Maasai herders seeking to graze their cattle in the reserve will be turned away. Citing the fear of spreading animal disease, along with the potential irritation of tourists, wildlife officials have vowed to keep some 20,000 cattle out of the park. "When the tourists come, they want to see wild animals, not cows," Robert Muasya, assistant director of the Tsavo National Park, told The Kenya Times Newspaper. The persistent drought has so far left approximately 4 million Kenyans in need of food aid, up from an estimated 3.5 million in Janurary, along with an additional 7 million people across East Africa.
