Indigenous Livelihoods Resilience among the Samburu Nomadic Pastoralist Community in Samburu County, Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated the resilience of indigenous livelihoods among the Samburu nomadic pastoralist community in Samburu County, Kenya. The study was driven by the need to understand the indigenous perspectives and practices applied in building resilience against livelihood vulnerability, given the persistent vulnerability among nomadic pastoralists in Kenya. Five objectives guided the researcher: to investigate family-related factors, livestock resource-related factors, living environment factors, health-related factors, social factors and livelihood resilience among the Samburu nomadic pastoralists community. The research applied a qualitative approach, with data collected using in-depth interviews from 30 elderly persons (15 men and 15 women). Sampling was done using a purposive method, selecting the informants who had deep knowledge about the community's way of life. The data was analysed thematically and presented in a narrative way. The findings revealed that the majority (83%) of the respondents stipulated that the Samburu perspective of resilience, which they made every effort to actualise, was that having many and responsible sons who will help parents during old age, and having daughters for dowry purposes, supported the family's resilience capacity. The breadwinner having a minimum of 40 lactating cows and at least 100 goats and sheep, living in a secure and rich natural environment, with all family members being physically and mentally healthy, and living in a just society, are components of resilience. The study recommended interventions by supporters, like the government and NGOs, to build people's livelihood resilience capacity, taking into consideration their perspectives, because they had tested that those dimensions are instrumental in building their capacities.