Tanzanian government faces backlash over Maasai voters’ exclusion

The Tanzanian government has removed the Ngorongoro division from the voters’ register, denying over 100,000 Maasai pastoralists their right to vote in the upcoming civic polls and next year's general elections. The move has provoked strong criticism, with human rights campaigners terming it part of a broader strategy to expel the ethnic group from their ancestral land.

The Ngorongoro division is home to thousands of Maasai pastoralists and is conspicuously absent from the roster of polling centres released by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) and seen by this reporter. The region, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage site, has become a flashpoint in the conflict between the government and local communities.

The government, on the other hand, accuses the Maasai of destroying wildlife habitats, which is allegedly being used to justify restrictive measures against them. The exclusion of Ngorongoro from the voters’ register reflects an attempt to sever the Maasai's connection to their land, according to the ethnic group.

“This is a clear violation of our right to vote. Our way of life and our very freedom are under attack,” said Ezekiel Omelangi, a Maasai rights activist from Ngorongoro. He accused the government of launching a vicious campaign against the Maasai by denying them essential services, including healthcare, education and now their right to vote.

Indigenous groups across Africa have historically faced marginalisation in political processes. Many African governments have virtually failed to uphold the political rights of these groups, leading to their exclusion from political and decision-making processes.

Last year, the Hadzabe ethnic group, Tanzania’s last remaining hunter-gatherers, boycotted the presidential election in protest against the encroachment on their land. They demanded that the government halt the invasion of their hunting grounds in northern part of the country. In a bid to lure them to vote, the government arranged for several wildebeests to be slaughtered and the meat distributed among the Hadzabe.

The Maasai claim their situation in Ngorongoro has been getting worse due to bizarre policies and evictions from traditional grazing lands, using the justification of wildlife habitat conservation but ultimately serving commercial tourism interests. “We have the right to elect or be elected under our constitution,” Omelangi said.

Salome Laitayo, a resident of Ngorongoro, said she felt frustrated and angry at being left off the voting list. “We’ve always been part of this community and now it feels like we’re being erased. How are we supposed to have a say in the decisions that affect our lives if we’re not allowed to vote,” she said.

Human rights groups strongly condemned the move to disenfranchise the ethnic group, calling for the need to involve the Maasai in decision-making processes that affect their lands.

Nearly half of the population of Ngorongoro, have been left out of the lists, said Onesmo Olengurumwa, National Coordinator of the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition. “Denying these people the right to vote means the entire district cannot choose leaders of their choice. It is time to end this systemic discrimination against the Maasai people,” he said.

Olengurumwa also claimed Maasai people were being evicted from their legally registered village lands in Ngorongoro and Loliondo districts, where police reportedly used teargas and firearms, causing injuries and displacements. He urged the government to respect the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other relevant international human rights instruments.

“I am homeless after my home was burnt down by the police. My children disappeared in the bush; it took me several days to trace them,” said Jesica Murani, a resident of Ngorongoro. The 45-year-old Murani said she feels she has been kept away from her traditional religion of spirits and away from her ancestors. “I feel like a refugee in my own country,” she added.

Although the right of indigenous people to use land is protected by Tanzania’s laws, human rights campaigners said the ethnic groups are increasingly struggling to secure their territories, which are falling into the hands of powerful loggers, miners, and trophy hunters.

In Tanzania, the land is public property held by the president as a trustee on behalf of the people. Its registration, however, is often a cumbersome process riddled with corruption and inefficiency, according to civil society Transparency International.

When contacted, the Ngorongoro District Commissioner declined to comment, directing inquiries to NEC. Giveness Aswile, NEC's information officer, stated that the government notice on election polling centres had been issued by another authority.

In April 2023, human rights defenders visiting Ngorongoro reported weakened community services, including education, healthcare, and water supply. “We have been denied all essential services, not even shelter; those who try to erect thatched huts are being forcefully stopped by park rangers,” said Omelangi. The inadequate health services, allegedly to pressure the Maasai into relocating, have led to deaths as well.

A recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) highlighted the severe impact of the government’s plan to relocate the Maasai from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, revealing that over 82,000 Maasai are being evicted without consent. “The Maasai are being forcibly evicted under the guise of voluntary relocation,” said Juliana Nnoko, HRW senior researcher on women and land.

While the government asserts that the relocation aims to protect the UNESCO site from human encroachment, HRW argues that the true motive is to repurpose Maasai lands for conservation and tourism.

“In the past three years, the Tanzanian government has imposed social and economic restrictions on the Maasai in Ngorongoro,” said Denis Oleshangay, a lawyer and activist from Ngorongoro. Oleshangay, who has been advocating for the Maasai in Tanzanian courts and the East African Court of Justice, noted that essential services have been denied, including building permits for renovations.

The plight of the Maasai community in Ngorongoro remains dire as they face eviction from their traditional lands, threatening their livelihoods and cultural heritage.