Arusha — A campaign to have nomadic livestock keepers cut down the size of their herds seems not to be un popular move even to the most revered Maasai royal, Laibon Meshuku Ole Mapi in Makuyuni area of western Arusha.

With 2,000 plus cows, 600 goats, 200 sheep, among other domestic animals, about 100 years old Ole Mapi , says he is concerned about his future due to the government move to encourage nomadic cattle herders to embrace zero grazing.

In an interview at his home on the slopes of the picturesque Losimingori Hill in Makuyuni, Ole Mapi says the crusade is a blow not only to him, but to most of his Maasai community.

"I spend sleepless nights, trying to figure out why me, why the government is all out to push for nomadic cattle herders to embrace zero grazing", the humble, but influential Maasai traditional medicine man asked, via his first born Mshangama Meshuku (37) a translator.

Ole Mapi says he is in deep love with livestock. "With all my heart and mind, I'm in deep love with domestic animals".

"You reporters go and write anything, but frankly speaking I hate most this campaign against nomadic livestock keepers. Cows are our traditional bank, so when the government says that we must reduce a substantial number of livestock, it is tantamount to sacrificing our future", the Laibon said.

He was of the view that the government should not interfere with indigenous affairs because it was only the people who knew their way of life well.

On the slopes of Losimingori\'s splendid hill, is where this reputable Maasai polygamist, Ole Mapi is happily running his own polygamous household.

The tall, black, but humble gentleman is a husband of 30 wives and a father to nearly 70 children.

In the early 1960s, Ole Mapi from remote part of Ngorongoro, some 80k north-west of Arusha, visited a vast savannah land of Buti sub-location in Esilalaei village in Makuyuni area of Monduli in Arusha.

He fell in love with the land and Losimingori hill that offered him tantalizing beauty and grazing area for his cattle.

From then on he thought Buti was the place to be.

"It was during my third visit to the area sometime in 1964 that I made up my mind to settle here" he recalled.

Not only did he appreciate the Losimingori hill's beauty, but he also loved the surrounding jungle and the untamed vast savannah land, full of grass suitable for grazing his cattle.He is building a primary school for his children, grandchildren and neighbors\' kids.

With two classrooms finished, the proposed Laibon Primary School saw 102 children enrolled, 40 out of them being the Laibon\'s children and his grandchildren.