Demons of Developments Without Dialoguing with Indigenous Knowledge

Abstract

The genesis of this Chapter deliberations is informed by the fact that both the pre and post independent Kenyan governments have never prioritized people’s knowledge to be part of the development agenda. The situation is worse for the pastoralists who live in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). The regions have faced development marginalization with the resultant deleterious effects being heightened by weather whims, unfair policies and scarce resources. For a people who rely on rational exploitation of natural resources for their survival, the effects have led to unsustainable lives and livelihoods. The discussions herein aim at sharing the experiences of the Maasai pastoralists inhabiting the Kajiado County of Kenya whose development interventions from the turn of the century have only known ostracism, with negative short and long term social, economic and environmental consequences. The main premise of the discourse is that the vision of a truly global knowledge partnership will be realized only when development partners participate as both contributors and users of knowledge. There is therefore a need for development support agencies to appreciate the indigenous knowledge of the target localities and plugging in global knowledge for effective and integrated sustainable development of the people and their ecosystems.