Maasai communities living in Ngorongora Crater thanks Majaliwa

THE Maasai communities in Ngorongoro Crater have hailed the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania for resolving their long standing water woes in their region. Their congratulations comes at a time when the Premier Kassim Majaliwa issued directives that the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) is now pumping enough water into local Maasai villages to save the residents from taking their cattle down the crater for watering. The new cattle water trough constructed at the cost of 231 million/- in a project which took four months, was officially inaugurated over the weekend at Ndepes Village by the Arusha Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Mrisho Gambo. “We had to lay pipes for more than 11 kilometres from the natural sources into this watering station here at Ndepes Village,” explained the Conservator, Dr Freddy Manongi, adding that the facility can serve at least 120 cattle at a time, with 60 cows dipping through the trough the left and 60 others drinking from the right. The large water trough will provide constant, regular and reliable water for all the livestock in the Ngorongoro Division as directed by the prime minister during the latter’s tour in the area late last December. 

Tanzania's Prime Minister Mr. Kassim Majaliwa in Parliament responding questions from law makers during an impromptu answers and questions session.

“The Maasai residents of Ngorongoro have complied with the government order restraining them from driving their cattle into the Crater under the pretext of searching for after the precious liquid became scarce in most other parts of the Conservation Area,” explained the Chairman of the Ngorongoro Pastoralists Council, Mr Edward Maura. Mr Maura who is also the Ward Representative for Nainokanoka area, lauded the NCAA for executing the premier’s directives but reminded the authorities that the Maasai cattle also needed supplementary salts and minerals that also caused the grazers to take their animals into the crater basin to feed. It is estimated that nearly 90,000 people, mostly Maasai pastoralists, currently live within the multiple land-use conservation area, keeping around 125,000 livestock between them, mainly cattle, sheep and goats –all of which in turn compete for scarce water and other resources with the teeming wildlife found within the popular tourist destination. In another development, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) has also completed the construction of a new and modern cattle dip at the Mokilal Village whose facility is big enough to serve the three villages of Mokilal, Misigiyo and Oloirobi in the Oloirobi Ward. The Chairman of the Ngorongoro Pastoralist Council, Mr Edward Maura said the NPC would work closely with the government because it was sensitive to the native Maasai problems. “We are glad that the prime minister’s visit to Ngorongoro is bearing fruit but apart from water and cattle dip, there many other problems that need to be solved here,” he said, adding that the premier needs to make regular visits to the area.