Ever wondered what it is like to be a herder or a pastoralist? Pastoralism is a career like any other that has been there for ages. Almost every community in Kenya practised and adored this career before some abandoned it for other modern ways of living. But one community, the Maasai, still values it and it is a major source of income to them. One way that they earn their living is through selling milk. Now, how do the Maasai herders milk their cattle considering they are constantly on the move? You may ask. This writer visited a group of herders in the expansive Kiganjo area in Thika to find out firsthand. “We as the Maasai herders don’t have much time and tools to milk,” says Ben ole Kisoiyan, a Maasai herder. “What we do is that we carry jerricans that we have cut at the top with us and with them we can milk anywhere any time.” But where do they get water to clean the udders and the milking jelly to soften the udder considering most of the places are dry? “We do not use any milking jelly or water,” Kisoiyan adds. “We have the calves that we allow first to clean and soften the udder by sucking a little before we can start our milking. We sell our milk at the location we are at that particular moment.” So you now know why the Maasai are considered the country’s kings of conservativeness.

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