Many people contributed directly and indirectly to this study and the preparation of this document and it is impossible to acknowledge them fully in this limited space. However, we would like to ac knowledge the contributions of some key people
We are grateful to P. Sihm and Professor N. Dyson-Hudson for initiating the study in 1980 and for convincing both the ILCA management and the officials of the Kenya Ministry of Agriculture of its importance. Professor Dyson-Hudson participated actively in the design of the study and some of the early anthropological investigations. We would like to thank D. Pratt and L. Ayuko for their keen interest and staunch support. We are indebted to Professor C. Spedding, Professor G. Sorbo, B. Nestel and A. Provost, members of the Programme Committee of the ILCA Board of Trustees during the study period, and to P. Brumby for their encouragement and professional guidance throughout the study.
The leader of the study team was Solomon Bekure. The research responsibilities for the study were as follows:
· P.P. Semenye supervised the general animal science work in Olkarkar and Merueshi, assisted by T. Ole Tukai and E. Rugema· C. P. Peacock supervised general animal science work in Mbirikani
· B.E. Grandin supervised the collection of socio-economic data on Olkarkar, assisted by P. Lembuya and E. Timpaine
· M. de Souza, F. Chabari and E. Kirruti collected socio-economic data on Merueshi
· I.K. Ole Pasha and C.P. Peacock supervised the collection of socio-economic data on Mbirikani, assisted by M. Ole Maki, P. Ole Muriet, D. Ole Ntinbany, S. Ole Ntawuasa, T. Ole Naroki, D. Ole Salonik and J. Ole Oloipunyi
· Solomon Bekure supervised the marketing studies, assisted by F. Chabari
· P.N. de Leeuw supervised the ecological and rangeland components of the study, and was assisted by P. Chara and E. Wachira
· J.C. Bille and Assefa Eshete conducted the preliminary ecological survey of the group ranches; P.N. de Leeuw and J.M. King were primarily responsible for the aerial surveys
· P.P. Semenye conducted intensive field studies on cattle
· C.P. Peacock conducted intensive geld studies on small stock
· P. Nestel studied maternal and child nutrition and health
· The animal health investigation was a collaborative effort between ILCA and the Veterinary Research Department of the Kenya Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development; S. Chema, Head of the Department, actively supported and stimulated our work. S. Waghella, A. James and C. D'Souza participated in the design of the study and the analysis of the animal health data. C. Ndarathi and Odongo conducted and supervised the field work, with assistance from E. Rugema and V. Musawa.
The study team is indebted to the ILCA headquarters Computing and Biometrics Unit for their support. R. Sayers provided statistical advice on the sampling design for the field surveys and helped process and analyse the livestock marketing and part of the household economics data. J. Durkin and D Light assisted in the processing and analysis of the livestock and ecological data. E Kontrohr helped analyse much of the socio-economic data. Additional computing and graphic assistance was provided by R. Nyambaka of ILCA/Kenya.
We would like to thank the administrative staff of ILCA/Kenya for their support. We would like to particularly acknowledge the painstaking word processing of R. Sokoto, A. Kiura and P Kagunda. We are grateful to Linda Ole MoiYoi for her editorial assistance and patience.
Finally, this document would not have been possible were it not for the excellent cooperation of the Maasai pastoralists in Olkarkar, Merueshi and Mbirikani group ranches. We admire their patience and tolerance in allowing us to interfere in their daily lives by our interviews, weighing and bleeding of their livestock and collection of a host of other samples. We would like to express our profound gratitude to the members of the group ranches and to their chairmen, M. Ole Kenayia, M. Ole Hamisi and T. Ololoshukoki, for their warm friendship and tolerance. We sincerely hope that they will derive some good from the findings reported herein.
This document was reviewed by J. Lambourne, J. Helland, S. Sandford and L. Coppock, to whom we are most grateful. None of them, needless to say, is responsible for any errors remaining or the views expressed herein.
Solomon Bekure
P.N. de Leeuw
Barbara E. Grandin
