Mu myaka icumi ishize cyangwa irenga, abacuruzi b’aba Maasai bagurisha inkweto, imitako, n’ibindi bihangano bamaze kuba akamenyero mu bihugu bya Afurika y’Iburasirazuba, harimo u Rwanda, Uganda, u Burundi, na Repubulika Iharanira Demokarasi ya Kongo (DRC), ahanini bagenda n’amaguru bava mu gace kamwe bajya mu kandi cyangwa se mu gihugu kimwe bajya mu kindi.

Umwe muri abo ba Maasai ni ‘Macai Koinet’, umaze imyaka 12 akora ubucuruzi bwa ‘banyenduga’, anyura mu bihugu bitandukanye byo mu Burasirazuba no mu Majyepfo ya Afurika. Ni umwe mu bacuruzi benshi b’aba Maasai bacuruza ibicuruzwa, bagaragara ko bazenguruka Kigali, bitwaje inkoni ndende, iyo nkoni ikaba ariyo iba itatseho inkweto n’ibindi bikoresho byakozwe n’intoki.

Baba bambaye imyenda ibiri yizingiye mu mibiri yabo ikomeye, imibiri yabo ubona ikomeye nk’abakora imyitozo ngororamubiri, ba Masai bimuka bava mu gace kamwe bajya mu kandi, bagurisha inkweto zikannye, amaherena mu matwi, impeta, n’imikufi, kandi ku munsi umuntu ashobora gukora impuzandengo ya kilometero 25, akagenda ku muvuduko w’urugendo rusanzwe buhoro n’amaguru.

Kimwe na benshi mu rungano rwe, Koinet ntavuga byinshi, ahanini aba atekereza ku bucuruzi bwe, kandi agategereza ko umwereka ko umushaka mbere niba ushaka kugura. Ntabwo aba ashaka gutanga ibiganiro mu itangazamakuru kandi yanga gufotorwa. Nyuma y’uko umunyamakuru aciye mu nzira zindi kugira ngo aganire na we, Koinet yaje kwemera kuganira n’itangazamakuru bigoye.

Yagize ati “Ubucuruzi bwacu ni amahoro. Ibi ni bimwe mu guteza imbere umuco wacu muri Afurika y’Iburasirazuba no ku mugabane wa Afurika.”

Yatangiye gukora ubwo bucuruzi afite imyaka 20, abanza kuva mu gihugu cye cya Kenya yerekeza muri Tanzaniya, u Burundi, hanyuma mu Rwanda, aho atuye uyu munsi, ariko kuri we anavuga ko u Rwanda abona ari ho ha nyuma azakorera bivuze ko ntahandi ateganya kujya muri make yaranyuzwe.

Uyu mugabo w’imyaka 32 y’amavuko avuga ko yatangiye ubucuruzi bwo kugurisha inkweto kubera ko umuryango we wimuwe mu gihugu cyababyaye kubera imishinga y’iterambere yari igiye kuhakorerwa, bikabahatira kwishora mu buzima bwo kwimuka. Kuri ubu Koinet akorana n’abandi bacuruzi b’aba Massai batandukanye bagatumiza ibicuruzwa byabo muri Kenya na Tanzaniya kugira ngo bahore babifite, ndetse bikaba n’uburyo bwo kwirinda gukora ingendo bajya muri ibyo bihugu buri uko bakeneye ibicuruzwa.

Yagize ati “Kubera Umuryango w’Afurika y’Iburasirazuba (EAC), twashoboye kugenda mu bwisanzure no kubona ibicuruzwa byacu. Kubera ko tunakoresha ibyangombwa byemewe n’amategeko twambuka imipaka ndetse no kugarura abacuruzi baba bagiye kubazanira ibicuruzwa byemewe n’amategeko.

Mu cyumweru gishize nibwo aba Massai bakorera mu Rwanda batangiye kwandikwa mu binyamakuru biturutse ku kuba bari bavuzweho n’umuyobozi w’Inkeragutabara mu Majyaruguru Lt Col Vianney Higiro, avuga ko ubucuruzi bakora butemewe. Mu zindi mpamvu, Higiro yavuze ko abacuruzi ba Maasai bishora mu bundi bucuruzi butemewe, harimo kugurisha imiti yongera igitsina gabo kimwe n’ibice bivugwa ko bizamura uburumbuke ariko bakabipfukirana bakoresheje inkweto.

Muri ayo mashusho, Higiro yasabaga abaturage kwitegereza neza umubare w’inkweto bagendana bazasanga zidahinduka bivuze ko inkweto ataribwo bucuruzi bwabo nyirizina, akomeza avuga ko aba Massai badafite uburenganzira bwo gucuruza mu mihanda kubera ko Abanyarwanda babibujijwe ntabwo bigira undi uwo ari we wese igihangange ngo abyemererwe, iyi ngingo ikaba yarateje impaka nyinshi.

INYANJA Y’IMYIZERERE N’IMBUTO MBI: Impaka zerekeye aba Massai zatumye bavugwaho byinshi bitandukanye birimo imyizerere ndetse n’imigani ibakikije, aho bagiye bashinjwa gukoresha amarozi ndetse n’ubupfumu bituma abantu babatinya cyane. Ntibiramenyekana igihe aba Massai ba mbere bageze mu Rwanda ariko Koinet avuga ko uhereye ku makuru bakusanyije, itsinda rya mbere (ubusanzwe bimukira mu matsinda) ryageze mu Rwanda mu 2012, cyane cyane bagurisha inkweto n’ibindi bicuruzwa.

Kuva bagera mu Rwanda, imigani myinshi yagiye ikorwa hirya no hino kuri bo, harimo kuvuga ko bashingira ku bupfumu no gukoresha inzaratsi (Charms) kugira ngo bashukishe abakiriya babo, kandi niba utabaguriye ibicuruzwa byabo cyangwa ngo ubirukeho, ikintu kibi kizakubaho.

Hari ibindi byigeze kubavugwaho ko abapolisi bigeze gufatira aba Massai muri Nyabugogo ariko imodoka yanga kugenda, ndetse bivugwa ko iyo modoka yashoboye kugenda ari uko polisi imaze kurekura uwo yari yafashe. Mu bindi bitekerezo bidasanzwe, bivugwa ko mu Gakinjiro, Gisozi, umucuruzi wabirukanye mu iduka rye ry’ibikoresho yatewe n’inzuki zinjira mu iduka rye kugeza igihe abasabiye imbabazi.

Mu nkengero zinyuranye za Kigali, aba ba Maasai binjira mu bundi bucuruzi bukorwa naba nyirabwo burimo supermarket, igaraje, amasoko, utubari n’amaduka, bagurisha ibicuruzwa byabo. Ntabwo birukanwa cyangwa ngo bakurikiranwe. Hari n’ibyavuzwe ku mbuga nkoranyambaga ko bamwe mu bakora nk’aba Massai Atari bo ahubwo ari abanyarwanda biyambika nkabo bagakora ubucuruzi.

Koinet avuga ko ubucuruzi bwabo ndetse na bo ubwabo nta kibazo bateye ariko bidakuyeho ko hari imbuto mbi zakwera muri bo zikabateza igisebo. Yagize ati “Muri rusange Maasai ntabwo ikoresha uburozi ariko dufite ibyatsi gakondo byagaragaye ko bifite akamaro mu buryo bwinshi, harimo no kongera ubushake bw’imibonano mpuzabitsina no koroshya kubyara.”

Yakomeje abwira The New Times ati “ubu ni uburyo buzwi ndetse bwemewe n’abayobozi b’igihugu muri Kenya. Ibindi byose bitaduhagarariye nk’abaturage cyangwa umuco wacu bitezwa imbere n’imbuto mbi nkeya ziturimo, ariko ntabwo ari abacuruzi nyabo ba Maasai.”

Jackie Lumbasi, ni umunyamakuru wo muri Kenya utuye mu Rwanda kuva mu 2018, avuga ko ibyinshi mu bivugwa kuri ba Maasai ari imigani kandi bidafite ishingiro kandi bidashoboka ko ari ukuri. Agira ati “Inyinshi muri izi nkuru z’imigani zerekeye Maasais n’andi moko yo muri Kenya nka Kamba mu bijyanye n’ubupfumu cyangwa gukoresha ‘Juju’ ziriganje, ndetse no muri Kenya, ariko ku giti cyanjye ndizera ko inyinshi muri zo atari ukuri.”

Lumbasi akomeza avuga ko Icyakora, iyo hari ikintu gisubiwemo inshuro nyinshi, mu bitekerezo abantu batangira kubyizera nubwo ibyo birego byaba ari ibinyoma. Koinet yagaragaje ko hari abacuruzi benshi ba Maasai bakora ubucuruzi mu buryo bwemewe n’amategeko mu Rwanda ahantu hatandukanye, harimo parikingi ya Nyabugogo, Nyanza, na Kimironko mu gihe abandi bafite aho bahurira ku masoko ndetse no mu maduka.

Aho bakorera hatandukanye, aba Massai ntabwo baba bashaka kuvugana n’itangazamakuru ndetse ni gufotorwa, icyakora Koinet avuga ko Atari umutima mubi babikorana ahubwo ni uko bitari mu muco wabo.

Mu kiganiro n’abanyamakuru cyabaye kuwa 21 Nzeri 2023, umuyobozi w’Umujyi wa Kigali, Pudence Rubingisa, yavuze ko ba Maasai “badafite ubudahangarwa bwihariye bwo ubucuruzi mu Rwanda.” Ati “Ntaho batandukaniye n’abandi bakorera ubucuruzi mu muhanda, Bahanwa nkabandi bacuruzi bo mumuhanda. Icyakora, nk’uko dukorana n’abandi bacuruzi bo mu muhanda, turashaka kubafasha gukora ubucuruzi mu buryo bwemewe n’amategeko.”