Govt intervention needed in Maasai, Sonjo conflict

aasai communities in Ngorongoro district, Arusha region have asked the government to appoint a mediator who will intervene in resolving the long time conflict between them and Sonjo tribesmen.

They also implored the need for surveying the land under dispute as well as putting up demarcations to end the fight between the two communities.

Speaking on behalf of Ngorongoro-based Maasai, Kaigili Ole Ngukwo appealed to the Lands, Housing and Settlement minister, Prof Anna Tibaijuka to chip in and appoint the said mediator.

Ngukwo said the fights between the two tribes have been reoccurring almost every year and there are no concerted efforts to address the vice.

“What we want is for the government to conduct a survey and set up permanent boundaries in the area,” he said.

He said that the government’s silence on the matter has been fueling the conflict.

“Our fellows (Sonjo) are now calling us Kenyans, something which is not true. And with this allegation, we are thinking of lodging a case against them because we are tired of these mistreatments,” said Ngukwo, who is the Enguserosambu ward councillor.

For his part, Arash ward councillor, Mathew Siloma suggested the need for Sonjo leaders to be kept from owning farms which are in the area under conflict.

“We have evidences that there are people from Sonjo tribe who have continued owning farms in the disputed land,” he said.

Siloma also suggested the need to disarming some Sonjo tribesmen who are still in possession of modern weapons.

“We are also asking the government to compensate us on our properties which were destroyed due to sporadic fights,” he said.

In recent years, Maasai and Sonjo conflicts has claimed 15 lives.