15 August 1904: The Anglo-Maasai Agreement

By William Kiptoo

First shared in The Wonders of Sergoit Hills Facebook group on 30 August 2025.

On 15 August 1904 the Anglo-Maasai Agreement was signed in Nairobi. It changed the destiny of the Maasai, who were moved with their flocks and herds into designated reserves, away from the railway line and the rich highlands being taken over by settlers.

The Maasai were represented by Lenana, son of Mbatiany, Laibon of all the Maasai, and Maskonde, son of Airiu, Laibon of Naivasha, with officers of the East Africa Protectorate administration around them.

The agreement marked the beginning of a long struggle over land, identity and survival for the Maasai. For Uasin Gishu, the name itself recalls the Uasin Gishu Maasai who once grazed the plateau.

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