- For many in this region, the struggle for survival has been compounded by devastating droughts. In the grips of a prolonged dry season, families have watched helplessly as their cattle once the symbol of wealth and prosperity, succumb to the harsh realities of the land.
- In 2017, Nicholas and other Maasai pastoralists in Kajiado County began to hear about the Afriscout App, a digital tool designed to help herders track water sources, locate fresh pasture, and receive real-time alerts about the movement of diseases and wildlife.
As the first light of dawn breaks over the dry plains of Kajiado County, the expansive landscape of Mosiro, Kajiado West Sub County awakens in a soft glow. The air is cool, and the land though parched carries the weight of centuries of survival.
It’s in this harsh yet beautiful environment that we find Nicholas Tenkes, a passionate Maasai pastoralist who, along with his family, has lived through the challenges and joys of raising livestock in one of Kenya’s driest regions.
Nicholas and his father are no strangers to hard work. Their hands, weathered by years of tending to cows, goats, and sheep, are steady as they prepare the herd for the day’s milking. The sound of cows lowing fills the air, a familiar comfort, yet beneath the routine lies the weight of an increasingly uncertain future.
In the life of a Maa pastoralist, cattle are more than mere animals, they are the lifeblood of the family, the foundation of their existence. Cows are not just a source of food and income; they are part of the Maasai soul, representing wealth, status, and a deep connection to the land.
But as the years have passed, the once predictable rhythms of pastoral life have become fraught with uncertainty. In recent decades, the quest for water and pasture has grown increasingly perilous.
Prolonged droughts and diminishing grazing land have turned what was once a livelihood into a race against time and nature itself. For families like the Tenkeses, each decision about where to move their herds is critical every choice a gamble with the lives of their cattle.
The search for pasture has become a relentless journey, where the difference between life and death can be as thin as a blade of grass.
The Struggles of a Drought-Stricken Land
For many in this region, the struggle for survival has been compounded by devastating droughts. In the grips of a prolonged dry season, families have watched helplessly as their cattle once the symbol of wealth and prosperity, succumb to the harsh realities of the land.
Their bones now dot the landscape like silent witnesses to a way of life slipping away. It’s a scene of heartbreak that has played out over and over again. In the worst cases, entire herds die, leaving families with nothing but barren fields and a haunting sense of loss.
“The past few years have been tragic for my family. We have lost uncountable heads of cattle totaling to millions of shillings. The pain of raising a cow from its calving ages only to lose it once it is a bull to the thirsty drought can only be compared to the pain of losing a son,” Tenkes lamented.
In the past, pastoralists like Nicholas had no choice but to send messengers deep into the wilderness, hoping to find pockets of pasture or water. These messengers would trek for days, sometimes three or four, walking through uncharted territories in search of any sign of life for their animals.
“In the past days the only way we would access food for our livestock was through sending young men into the wild in search for pasture and water, they would go for three to four days. Most of these journeys ended futile. Some would unknowingly lead their herds into areas infected by disease, further devastating their flocks,” Tenkes lamented.
The challenges were endless, and the risks of losing cattle to drought and disease seemed unavoidable. That was, until a revolutionary change began to take root in Mosiro, a change that came not from the land itself, but from technology.
A Digital Lifeline: The Afriscout App
In 2017, Nicholas and other Maasai pastoralists in Kajiado County began to hear about the Afriscout App, a digital tool designed to help herders track water sources, locate fresh pasture, and receive real-time alerts about the movement of diseases and wildlife.
Nicholas was skeptical at first. The idea of relying on a phone app seemed foreign, especially in such a traditional way of life. Yet, as the droughts continued to ravage the land, he found himself desperate for any solution. So, he downloaded the app and began to explore.
“I was introduced to the app by a friend of mine who gave me a rough idea about it. At first I did not give it much thought but by looking at how well his heard did, I had to try it out. Since then I have had the smoothest herding,” Tenkes said.
A New Era of Pastoralism
Before setting out on the long journey to graze their cattle, Nicholas opens the Afriscout app on his phone. The digital map reveals the coordinates of areas where water and pasture are abundant, helping him plan his route.
The app updates every ten days with the latest information, sent by fellow herders and monitored by satellite. Armed with this knowledge, Nicholas and his father set off for a three-kilometer journey to safer grazing grounds, confident in their decision.
“We used to waste so much time searching for water and pasture,” Nicholas says, his face breaking into a smile as he watches his cattle graze in the lush area he found using the app. “Now, we know exactly where to go. It has made pastoralism easier.”
The app has brought a sense of certainty that was once absent in the face of nature’s unpredictability. What was once a desperate, sometimes futile search for resources has been replaced by a calm confidence in the power of technology.
A Second Chance: Sirintai’s Story
For Florence Sirintai a resident of Oldorko, the Afriscout app represents a second chance. In 2009, a devastating drought wiped out her entire herd, cows, goats, and sheep.
The loss was unbearable, and for years, she struggled to regain her confidence in the land and in her ability to raise livestock again. But after hearing about the app, Sirintai decided to give it a try.
“In 2009, my family lost our entire heard, leaving us poor, prideless and without the hope of ever keeping livestock again. I stated using the app in 2017, through technology I regained my trust in the land again, spotting water, pasture and diseases has been a walk in the park thanks to Afriscout,” Sirintai said.
Every morning, she checks the app for updates on available pasture and water. She shares the information with her father, who takes charge of the family’s remaining livestock.
The app has become a lifeline, offering a reliable source of information in an otherwise uncertain world. For Sirintai and her family, the app has restored hope and the possibility of recovery.
The Promise of Technology: A Changing Landscape
But not every family has embraced this new way of life. In Naoro village, Denis Koikai remembers the anguish of losing cattle to disease after unknowingly leading them into infested areas.
For years, he and his family lived in constant fear of what the next drought would bring. But two years ago, Denis was introduced to Afriscout, and it has made all the difference. The app has made him more aware of his surroundings, giving him the tools to protect his livestock.
"My biggest worry has been disease outbreaks. A while ago I lost most of my cattle to an outbreak. I had to seek solutions on ways I can protect my herd. Through the app, I receive timely alerts from other herders about where to avoid disease outbreaks and where to find safe grazing areas,” Koikai shared.
Even with the benefits of technology, not everyone in Mosiro has adopted Afriscout. Some families continue to rely on traditional methods of herding, moving from one area to the next in search of pasture and water.
Solomon Saigilu, the assistant chief of Oldepa Sub-Location, has witnessed firsthand the toll of these hard times. In 2021, his own stock survived the drought, thanks to the help of Afriscout.
The last four years of drought have served as a painful reminder of the consequences of not adapting to new solutions. Now, he is urging other pastoralists in his community to embrace technology and to protect their livelihoods.
“We cannot afford to ignore these tools, my stock was saved from the unforgiving 2021 drought that left most of my people poor. With the help of the app I moved my family and my cattle to areas with adequate water and grass that saved my animals” he says. “Technology is not a luxury anymore it is a necessity. It’s the difference between survival and loss.”
A Bright Future: Expanding Afriscout’s Reach
Peter Kilani, an Afriscout field agent in Kajiado County, has been working tirelessly to spread the word about the app. Since 2017, he has visited communities across 25 wards in Kajiado county, teaching them how to use the app to protect their herds and ensure that they can thrive even in the face of adversity.
“I have been sensitizing my community since 2017 and the turnout of pastoralists embracing this technology has been encouraging. The app has alerts where the pastoralists update each other on the areas it has rained, areas with pasture and water. The app also gives alerts on wildlife conflicts keeping our cows safe,” Kilani added.
Tillen Ododa the Community Engagement Associate for Afriscout Kenya confidently shared that the app’s reach is growing with 25,000 already registered pastoralists and 13,000 shared alerts so far, meaning pastoralists have started embracing technology to safeguard their stock.
“Afriscout has reached 25,000 pastoralists across six counties,” says Ododa. “And we are just getting started. We are planning to expand to Northern Kenya, and soon, Afriscout will help even more herders avoid the devastation of drought.”
Afriscout is more than just an app; it has become a salvation for thousands of Maasai pastoralists who are learning to adapt to the changing realities of their environment.
The power of technology has bridged the gap between the ancient practices of pastoralism and the modern tools that can safeguard their way of life.
In the dry hills of Kajiado, the residents are not just surviving, they are learning to thrive. They are building a future where technology and tradition work hand in hand, ensuring that the legacy of their cattle, their families, and their culture will endure for generations to come.
As the sun sets over the horizon, casting a warm golden glow over the herds, the silhouette of Nicholas and his father walking home with their herd reminds us that, even in the harshest of times, there is always a glimmer of hope, a future that they will face, hand in hand with the land, and with the technology that is guiding them forward.
