Influence of Changes in Rainfall Patterns on Livestock Feeding Practices in Mailwa Sub-location, Kajiado County, Kenya

Changes in rainfall patterns continue to affect pastoralism as practiced by the Maasai community in Kajiado County. The Maasai community is vulnerable to effects of the changing rainfall patterns induced by climate variability. The community has tried to cope with these changes by altering livestock feeding practices but knowledge gaps exist as to whether these characteristic responses adequately respond to the problem posed by changing rainfall patterns. Thus, this study established how changes in rainfall patterns influence livestock feeding practices of the Maasai community in Kajiado County. A sample size of 136 household heads was used for the study. Results indicated that most of the respondents had noticed changes in rainfall patterns (99%), 58.09% reported that onset of rains was no longer predictable and 43.4% reported that rains lasted for an average of three months in a year. Analysis of rainfall data for last two decades indicated variations in both amounts and the number of rain days. The Maasai community has continued with traditional seasonal movement of livestock despite observed changes in rainfall patterns which poses a great danger to pastoralism in the area. Interventions proposed to assist the community cope with effects of changes in rainfall patterns include harvesting and preservation of natural hay for feeding livestock during the dry season, rehabilitation of the existing water pans and construction of new ones to enhance water harvesting during the rainy season, and promotion of alternative sources of livelihoods for the community due to threats posed to pastoralism as a result of increased land subdivision, growth of private ownership and change in land use patterns.