Ministry of public service, youth and gender affairs kenya youth employment and opportunities project vulnerable and marginalized groups framework

VULNERABLE AND MARGINALISED PEOPLES IN KENYA

In Kenya, the peoples who identify with the indigenous movement are mainly pastoralists and hunter- gatherers as well as a number of small farming and fishing communities. Pastoralists are estimated to comprise 25% of the national population, while the largest individual community of hunter gatherers numbers approximately 30,000.
Pastoralists mostly occupy the arid and semi-arid lands of northern Kenya and towards the border between Kenya and Tanzania in the south. Hunter-gatherers include the Sengwer, Ogiek, Yaaku, Waata, El Molo, Malakote, Wagoshi and Sanya, while pastoralists include the Turkana, Rendille, Borana, Maasai, Samburu, Ilchamus, Somali, Gabra, Pokot, Endorois and others. They all face land and resource tenure insecurity, poor service delivery, poor political representation, discrimination and exclusion. Their situation seems to get worse each year, with increasing competition for resources in their areas.

Table 1. List of Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups as per the New Kenyan Constitution;

Source: ERMIS Africa Ethnographic Survey of Marginalized Groups, 2005-2012

Name	Other Names Usually derogatory	Estimated Population^29	Livelihood^30	Administrative Location Counties^31
1. Sengwer		50,000	HG/Farmers	Trans-Nzoia; Uasin-Gishu; West Pokot; Keiyo-Marakwet
2. Ogiek	Dorobo	40,000	HG/Farmers	Nakuru; Baringo; Uasin Gishu; Bomet; Kericho; Narok; Nandi
3. Waatha	Wasanye	13,000	HG/Farmers	Kwale; Tana River; Marsabit, Kilifi
4. Aweer	Boni	7,000	HG	Lamu, Tana River
5. Yiaaku	Dorobo	4,000	HG/Farmers	Laikipia
6. El Molo		2,900	Fishing	Marsabit, Samburu
7. Ilchamus		33,000	Fishing/Farmers/ Livestock Keeper	Baringo
8. Endorois	Dorobo	60,000	Fishing/Farmers/ Livestock Keeper	Baringo, Laikipia
9. Borana		136,936	Pastoralists	Marsabit, Wajir
10. Gabra		31,000	Pastoralists	Marsabit, Samburu
11. Rendille		62,000	Pastoralists	Marsabit, Samburu
12. Turkana		1,008,463	Pastoralists	Turkana, Baringo, Laikipia
13. Pokot		62,000	Pastoralists	West Pokot /Baringo
14. Maasai		666,000	Pastoralists	Narok, Kajiado

Distribution of the Vulnerable and Marginalized Peoples in Kenya


A detailed description of the VMGs is contained in annex 2 of the report.

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