Dried-up pastures push Kenya's Maasai to mix cattle with crops

Maasai herders load cows weakened by the drought in Kajiado County in November 2017. [Photo, File]

James Shakita had raised cattle for more than 30 years when he decided the only way to save his livelihood was to break with generations of tradition and swap some of his cows for crops.

The Maasai herder, 43, used to keep about 180 animals until a severe drought hit southern Kenya’s Kajiado County last year and decimated his herd, leaving him with fewer than 80.