The equator divides Kenya into two
almost equal parts. The region north of the equator is hot and receives comparatively
little rain. The southern region falls into three zones. The cost is humid,
with a mean annual temperature ranging from about 24.4º c (76 F) in June
and July to about 27.8ºc (82 F) in February, March and April, the highlands
are relatively temperate, and the lake Victoria is tropical. The rainy seasons
occur from October to December and from April to June. The arid and semiarid
lands (ASALS) cover a large part of the country, where also temperatures are
high and rainfall is low.
The District falls under the arid and semiarid lands (ASAL), characterised
by dry and arid conditions. It receives two rain seasons annually. Long rains
are received between March and May. The patterns for the short rains differ,
between the high altitude areas such as Lerroki and the lowlands of Wamba,
where it occurs from July to August and October to November respectively.
January and February are drier months throughout the District.
Lerroki plateaus receives between 500-700mm annually, the Ndoto Mountains
receives between 750-1250mm, while the central plains and east of Mathew Ranges
receives between 250-500mm annually. Temperatures range between mean minimum
of 24ºC to mean maximum of 33ºC. The highlands belt of Lerroki Plateaus
are cool, while the central plains and the region east of the Mathews Range
have the highest temperatures.
Human demography
The Samburu people are semi-nomadic
pastoralist people, very closely related to the Maasai. They are the main
inhabitants of Samburu District, although there are other tribes living alongside.
The 1989 population census put the population of the District at 108,834.
Projected figures from the District Statistics Office, Maralal, estimate that
the population will increase to 166,998 by 2001 (District Plan, 1997).
The Samburu people are semi-nomadic pastoralist people, very closely related
to the Maasai. They are the main inhabitants of Samburu District, although
there are other tribes living alongside.
The 1989 population census put the population of the District at 108,834.
Projected figures from the District Statistics Office, Maralal, estimate that
the population will increase to 166,998 by 2001 (District Plan, 1997).
Land Tenure
Tenure is a dynamic resource system consisting of a diversity of resource processes and rules, regulation, rights and obligations that define the relationship between the resource users and the resource as well as between themselves. The resource system is essentially conditioned by the tenure regime that governs the resource that are utilised in the resource processes. In common property regimes, the development of common property management units is related to and determined by the patterns of resource use.
Patterns of traditional use and ownership
of land which was communal, have been and are being replaced by new arrangements,
of ownership.
The Kenyan government in 1960, adopted a new policy on rangeland use and management,
where communal areas were adjudicated and demarcated into group ranches.
In Kenya a group ranch is a unique
form of land tenure, whereby an area of land is demarcated, given title and
shares are allocated to the senior members of the family. Group ranches have
defined boundaries and membership.
Individuals also can own land through the same tenure arrangements. The County
Councils holds in trust on behalf of the local community the trust lands (unregistered
land).
In Samburu District, land has been demarcated and subdivided into group ranches and to a lesser degree to private ownership. The changing patterns of land tenure has had many implications for land use. With more land falling into group ranches and private ownership, the more flexible communal uses.
Economy
The economy of Samburu District is dependent of livestock and animal husbandry. However, there are changing land uses on areas around Lerroki where small-scale wheat farming is practised. Livestock numbers and distribution have changed over time, dictated by the natural, as well as human related, catastrophe like drought, diseases and persistent insecurity (Cattle Rustling).
Tourism is the second income earner for Samburu District. The communities around SNR benefit from tourists visiting their cultural villages and Samburu County Council generates 90% of its revenue from tourism to SNR of which the money is used for various community development programmes in the District.
The district has been amongst the economically marginalise
districts from since the colonial period with poor infrastructure, public
health and education facilities.
