Question

Why were chiefs appointed by the British? How was their life different from the poor pastoralists?

Answer 1

The British appointed chiefs of different sub-groups of Masai, who were made responsible for the affairs of the tribe (Masai).
These chiefs were not honest at all. They often accumulated wealth over time. They had a regular income with which they could buy animals, goods and land. Many of them began living in towns and became involved in trade. Their wives and children stayed back in the villages to look after the animals. These chiefs managed to survive the devastations of war of drought. They had both pastoral and non-pastoral income and could buy animals when their stock was depleted. But the life of the poor pastoralists was full of miseries. They depended only on their livestock. Most often, they did not have the resources to cope with bad times. In times of war and famine, they lost nearly everything. They had to go looking for work in the towns. Some worked as charcol, burners, others did odd jobs. The lucky could get more regular work in road or building construction. Thus, there was a wide gap between the chiefs and the pastoralists.