Ol Maisor -update 6, 7 and 8

6.30 pm 28th Feb

Fire started by Samburu with sheep – left to burn

just received 2.30pm 28th Feb

Just been flying now, probably 10,000 sheep and goats all coming in around the boundary. have cut the fence twice in the last 20 mins

Just received 1pm 28th Feb

Thousands of sheep and goats on the northern side. 

Many cases of fence vandalism and abuse of farm security staff going on. 

Cattle still pouring in from the north eastern side of mawe nyeupe -probably up to 4000 odd head now. 

The cattle have muddied the dams so badly they now drinking at the river. Those drinking at the river are now coming into conflict with Kinamba town residents trying to do their washing in water getting crapped in and muddied by thousands of cattle.

Thousands of illegal goats and sheep coming in from Mathira side –  farm security staff probably removed 2-3000 this morning

Day 50 of chaos, violence, mayhem, shooting etc or day 171 – Monday 27th

50 shitty days in the last 171…..which is nearly half a year !!! Quite shocking when you stop and think about it. Crazy crazy times that have changed the whole way you look at life. I think I am a pretty positive person and try to see the best in everything but something like this pushes you to your limits. 

This morning I wrote ‘this could be the new ‘normal’ and we have to think and plan for that’ …it’s hard to see generations of hard work destroyed and try and work out the way forward, how can you catch up on 60 years of work ……a truly daunting task ahead.

So what happened today….there were 8 breaks in the repaired stonewall on the Pesi section – all now repaired again, 3 breaks in the repaired stone wall on the Lorian section and 1 break on the Karuwao section….again all repaired again….but then patrolling and rebuilding couldn’t continue as the Police officers with George and the building crew decided the next section was too unsafe…..this was where for two days last week we had hassles, George and the crew almost ambushed and fired at and staff chased off the following day. 

There is still illegal livestock inside the farm – hundreds of sheep and goats and quite a few herds of cattle, only children were seen with the stock, no doubt the adults wouldn’t have been far away…but it makes it pretty much impossible to do anything.

Further north the sheer numbers of illegal cattle on Suyian, Sosian and Ol Maisor are shocking and a huge amount of poaching too

Please please SHARE posts you read about what is going on in Laikipia – it’s hard to understand but so many people still don’t realise what is going on.

This isn’t Kiangazi na Nyasi.

Day 49 of chaos, violence, mayhem, shooting etc or day 170 – Sunday 26th

Illegal stock still coming in both on the eastern boundary from Matigari breaking the stone wall repeatedly and into the Karai section which we havent yet tackled and from the western and northern boundarys. This is mostly hundreds and hundreds of head of sheep and goats but about 1000 head of cattle too. 

Patrols by our staff continued repairing any breaks in the wall and burning any thick patches. 

Had a long and interesting meeting which hopefully can help, they had driven all the way from Nairobi to come and see and hear for themselves about the situation.

The damage is phenomenal to the infrastructure to the farm and although we are achieving stuff it is a very high mountain to climb, there is no doubt it will never be the same again. Its crazy when you have to think of removing existing infrastructure to try take back control from illegal grazing by armed pastoralists and your now ‘opportunistic’ neighbours who have benefited from you for so long. 

This could be the new ‘normal’ and we have to think and plan for that ……

Sosian Ranch – update 6, 7 and 8

Just received 27th Feb

Cattle are now over 16000 head on us. 

Between the three ranches of Suyian Sosian and Ol Maisor we are carrying nearly 100000 head of illegal cattle. One of our security teams has just watched the Pokot run down and shoot a zebra. Another young elephant was seen with bullet wounds and we have reports of another elephant that was speared and the tusks removed which we are looking for. The sooner the game leaves the better as it will ALL get killed if it stays here.

Received 26th Feb afternoon
Distressing photos

Just shit with thousands of cattle all over goats coming in from the south big fires dead calves-sadly not enough,fences being cut and game getting absolutely hammered especially buffalo but also ele,lion ,giraffes,zebra and so on. Game just shot or speared and left. Years of building the wildlife up and getting it used to cars all disappearing by the day. Why bother with wildlife is the question I am asking myself over and over.

Received 25 Feb evening

About 15000 head of cattle here each day….a big fire today, started at one of the Pokot bomas, we decided to let it burn and watched loads of Pokot trying to put it out.

Suyian Ranch -update 1

Received 26th Feb afternoon 

Distressing  photos

Suyian is covered in thousands of cattle belonging to Maasai,Pokot and Samburu..there are also large numbers of sheep and goats in the river valley. The grass is running low now but there is still water in the river. We are having to move our own cattle closer to Ranch HQ as illegal grazers close in on our last area of grazing for our own cattle. The killing of wildlife continues on a daily basis most of the carcasses are either intact or a small piece of meat taken off or skin. The lack of wildife in our core area which is about 8,000 acres is really serious.We have never experienced such horrific and stressful times for wildlife,environment,and Suyian Ranch staff.We never know what will happen next.One of our top cattle herders was murdered in his house at night 3 days ago for no reason at all.

Ol Maisor Ranch – update 4 and 5

Received 26th Feb afternoon

Probably 3000 head of Pokot illegal cattle grazing today just in the eastern area. Maybe 15-20 groups and armed visibly with spears , and seen trying to chase down and kill eland.
Haven’t managed to get up the top end yet. received info that alot of Samburu herds heading to Ol Maisor from LNC.
All illegal cattle looking very large and fat – not at all drought stricken.
Thousands of sheep and goats on our northern and western boundary despite wazee’s direction to leave them outside. We have been told to leave them or else farm security personel will be shot.

Received 24th Feb

We have more herds coming into corner Mbaya area, probably up to about 15 herds now. At least 4 pastoralist meetings going on today. Have received news from dam nyekundu area about a plan on invading Ol Maisor soon from the western side. We will wait and see

Day 48 of chaos, violence, mayhem, shooting etc or day 169 – Saturday 25th

Illegal livestock still coming in, mostly small stock on the eastern boundary and herded by small children with the adults presumably armed tucked away watching for our next move…
More livestock maybe a thousand head of cattle and again a lot of small stock on western and northern boundarys.
The majority of the boundary stonewall is complete apart from the continuous breaks, which is good as livestock is now moving back from the Abedares and heading north so it’s important that they don’t try come in here again !!!
Although not working rebuilding the boundary the crew are still out there, rebuilding where necessary and patrolling and reporting back.
One of the gates dividing paddocks of grazing that had been stolen was found hidden in thick bush that we have started clearing so another tiny step forward.
Dairy cows were given a whole pickup load of cut maize plants and was fun to watch them so excited eating green stuff ! 
Please keep sharing and talking about what is happening in Laikipia…..many people don’t believe it is still going on, BUT IT IS.

Day 47 of chaos, violence, mayhem, shooting etc or day 168 – Friday 24th

After the last two days of hassle, intimidation and potential life threatening danger we decided to avoid working on the boundary stone wall and instead repaired some internal stonewall. 

Patrols were carried out within the farm to keep us upto date with what is going on – still some illegal livestock coming in but no armed men seen in the farm, but others seen outside on the western and northern boundary. Breaks in the stonewall are in the same places that we have repaired every day for the last week….very frustrating !

Police patrolled the whole area which should really help the situation with the opportunistic neighbours stealing and hopefully encourage the remaining illegal grazers to leave.

Ranches north of Rumuruti still covered in illegal cattle and a tense situation after a Pokot employee shot dead. 

An all round extremely sad and worrying situation !

Please keep sharing and talking about what is happening in Laikipia.

Article Star 24Feb2017

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2017/02/24/two-more-killed-in-laikipia-hours-after-security-meeting_c1513223

Day 46 of chaos, violence, mayhem, shooting etc or day 167 – Thursday 23rd

Another day of rebuilding of the boundary stonewall but with the team being intimidated by 6 armed men who eventually chased them off their work and followed them back to where we could collect them….luckily everyone safe. 

Following on information it seems some of our neighbours on the Lorien section are informing the armed guys if and when and where they see anyone which is how they came so close to ambushing George and the crew on Wednesday. Trying to work with respected people in that community and the government to try and sort out this and the theft. It’s probably a small group who are in cahoots and have been doing the tree cutting, charcoal making and fence post and wire theft.

Still some illegal cattle inside, 4 herds of Pokot cattle on western side and 2 herds of Samburu cattle on northern side in the valley below the dam and hundreds and hundreds of head of small stock….all of this makes the rebuilding a challenge as sections keep getting rebroken but probably over 60% is now done which is amazing. Frustrating but at least we have made progress.

To brighten up our day and push out positive vibes for everyone in this chaos on Mugie, Suyian, Sosian, Ol Maisor, Lombara – this photo is of all the Bulls that were stolen and found near Mugie, after a week or so’s rest on Mugie they came home and lived in the garden !!! A happy day in all the dark ones…….