Chic African Culture Blog

Mara Region of Tanzania Tribes and Cattle Wars

Mara region was born shortly after African independence. Mara region is the northernmost region of Tanzania. Mara region is where there are more than twelve ethnic groups with aggressive cultures and customs, cattle rustling is a common destructive practice that occurs regularly. 

The practice is often fatal, destructive and distributes poverty to victimized families. The dominant ethnic groups of the Mara region are the Wakurya, Wajaluo and Wajita. 

The Mara region’s tribal group picture is also characterized by many very small tribes such as the Wazanaki, Wasuba, Waikizu, Waisenye, Waikoma, Wangoreme, Wakwaya, Waluli, and Washashi.

Selling food roadside is good social mobilization practice for women in the Mara region communities

Mara Region of Tanzania suffers bloodshed and violence, learn about boarders, parks, wild animals, cattle rustling, and warring Mara tribes.


Mara region was born shortly after African independence. It was created along with Mwanza and Kagera from what was then Lake Province, so named in honor of Lake Victoria. Mara region is the northernmost region of Tanzania along with Kagera region Mara shares a common border. 

The Mara region in this geographical position has the added distinction of being the only Tanzania region to the border to Kenya and Uganda. Mara Region is occupied by various different tribal groups, including the Ikizu, Ikoma, Isenye, Jita, Kabwa, Kiroba, Kuria, Kwaya, Luo, Nata, Ngoreme, Ruri, Simbiti, Sizaki, Sukuma,Taturu and Zanaki. 

When European colonialists met in Berlin in 1884 to apportion Africa they did not know the trauma they were inflicting on the people of Mara region. Mara suffered and is still suffering from ethnic division. Numerous Jaluos in Tanzania were cut off from their fellow Jaluos and relatives in a neighboring country. Similarly, numerous Kuryas were forcefully separated from fellow Kuryas. 


The Mara region suffers a lot of bloodshed and violence such as many other border regions in Africa.

The coming together of Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda in the East African Community is a healing process from which these people of Mara region will benefit culturally among other things. 

The dominant ethnic groups of the Mara region are the Wakurya, Wajaluo and Wajita. The Wakurya are dominant in Tarime and Serengeti districts while in Musoma and Bunda the Wajita dominants. The Wajaluo are dominant in Tarime along with the Kurya. Many of the Mara region tribes in Tanzania still practice female cutting or female genital mutilation, FGM.

The region’s ethnic picture is also characterized by many very small tribes such as the Wazanaki, Wasuba, Waikizu, Waisenye, Waikoma, Wangoreme, Wakwaya, Waluli, and Washashi which are virtually indistinguishable language-wise from one another.

Mynebre in Tanzania cooking over an open fire with her favorite cooking pot

History shows that the first areas to be settled in the region were those along the shoreline of Lake Victoria where life was easier and safer. The sandy soils on the shores of the lake were easy to work given the impunity of hand tools to work the soils. 

Further inland soils were heavier and not so easy to work. The closeness to the lake means easy access to fishing to supplement diets. The lake waters also provided easy transport over long distances. Inland areas were also unsafe due to the profusion of wild animals especially predators like lions and leopards.  

Wild animals still dominate same 4,350 miles of the region which are given over to the Serengeti National Park and to some extent the Grumeti and Ikorongo Game Reserves. The region owns some 2.6 million acres of freshwater area with six districts; Serengeti, Tarime, Bunda, Musoma, Butiama, and Rorya. In terms of land area Serengeti district dominates with 55.9 percent of the regional land area. 

However, to a large part, this area is taken up by the Serengeti National Park. Musoma has a smaller land area at 10 percent of regional. Mara is one of the 30 regions of Tanzania; Musoma serves as the Region's capital.

In the Tanzania Mara region, agriculture and livestock keeping are the major occupations


In the Mara region, agriculture and livestock keeping are the major occupations. Likewise many people especially young adults living along the lake shores in Bunda, Musoma and Tarime districts engage themselves in fishing. 

Crop production ranks first followed by livestock keeping and thirdly by fishing. About 90 percent of residents of the region depend on crop production, livestock, and fishing. Food crops grown in the region include; cassava, maize, sorghum, finger millet, paddy, sweet potatoes, and beans. It is estimated that 51 percent of total agricultural households in Mara region keep cattle. Livestock reared in all districts include cattle, goats, sheep, and donkeys. 

Cattle are kept for the provision of milk, meat, and dowry. Livestock and livestock products are also sold to meet household needs such as school uniforms and medical care. Cash crops in the agricultural sector of the Mara region’s economy are dependent principally on one crop, cotton. Cotton is principally grown in Bunda, Musoma and Serengeti districts. Coffee is mainly grown in Tarime district. 

Sunflower, tobacco, and groundnuts are minor crops grown in some districts. Named after the River Mara. Mara Region of Tanzania has a land area of 7.5 million acres an area roughly the size of Massachusetts with an estimated 1.74 million in population. 

Mara region is where there are more than twelve ethnic groups with aggressive cultures and customs, cattle rustling is a common destructive practice that occurs regularly. The practice is often fatal, destructive and distributes poverty to victimized families.

Homegrown groundnuts in the Mara region of Tanzania


Nyamwirimira kubhibhi, risambu bhandogera.
A person who does not cultivate well his or her farm always says that it has been bewitched - proverb from the Kwaya people of Mara Region Tanzania.


Links to war, human trafficking and black exploitation articles you will find thought provoking.

  1. Scientific Racism Ota Benga the human exhibited at the Bronx Zoo
  2. Quarter-a-million people were murdered
  3. Mental Illness in Africa Taboos
  4. Why racism is a religious health care issue
  5. Civil War in South Sudan Civilian Losses
  6. Africa and Hate Have Five Things In Common


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Being African in America I have grown up learning about different ethnic cultures. My father and mother are historians of African culture and history and their influence expanded my activities to several best-selling cookbooks, magazine columns, self-branded products, and a popular African culture and food blog.

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