Greek filmmaker and journalist Daphne Matziaraki and the multi-award-winning Kenyan documentary director and producer Peter Murimi join forces in the documentary The Battle for Laikipia. Playing in the Audience Competition at DOK Leipzig, the film digs deep into the colonial legacy of Laikipia, Kenya, where British settlers claimed land in the early 20th century, displacing indigenous communities. The window which the filmmakers use to address colonialism is the present crisis of a devastating drought and how it is affecting both the white ranchers and the native pastoral communities.
Despite its independence and the establishment of a Kenyan state, much of the country’s land is still owned by descendants of the British, a trigger for tension between them and the indigenous Samburu pastoralists who raise their livestock on the open range. This tension has been a talking point in every election, but since the country has been ravaged by two years of drought, the scarcity of water has intensified the disputes between the the descendants of white British settlers in their well-guarded ranches and the semi-nomadic members of the Samburu tribe. It has also brought colonial history’s lasting impact back into focus.
Matziaraki and Murimi emphasize that the division created by Kenya’s colonial legacy is not simply historical. It lives on in the entrenched economic and social divisions that separate Laikipia’s white ranchers from the Samburu people, whose pastoral way of life has traditionally depended on these grazing lands.
The film’s strength lies in its delicate and nuanced approach to both sides of the conflict, humanising both sides. The film introduces Simeon and his family, Samburu herders for whom cattle are essential not only for survival but also as a symbol of their cultural identity. The film also introduces Maria, a fourth-generation white rancher whose family’s land represents both her legacy and livelihood. However, the filmmakers are not naive, nor do they shy from exploring these tensions. It is obvious that the brutal colonial legacy still remains present and today’s context cannot be seen without dealing with the demons of the past.
For example, we meet Tom, a white settler who controls around 60,000 acres on his estate. He remains romantic about the colonial image of wildlife in Kenya, a country he sees as the jewel of East Africa and home to the best safari trips, in a narrative that strips the indigenous citizens of their history. Matziaraki and Murimi’s decision to capture these discussions without comment allows viewers to witness the persistence of colonial attitudes toward land ownership and resource control. This one-sided conversation becomes a powerful reminder of the invisible walls that divide the two communities.
Though both Simeon and Maria share a sense of connection to Kenya, they live worlds apart, and their visions for the land seem irreconcilable. Through Sam Soko’s sensitive editing, their lives unfold in parallel, underscoring how different perspectives and unequal access to resources shape each side’s view of the land. Their unresolved histories and cultural divides prevent communities from finding common ground.
The Battle for Laikipia is all the more important in coming out as the earth gets warmer and warmer. A greater scarcity of resources in the future will clearly lead to more conflict and internal strife. Matziaraki and Murimi’s story goes beyond the context of Kenya and indeed East Africa, giving a wider guideline and warning about what could happen in other places of the world as well. Using stunning visuals and sensitive storytelling to capture the beauty and hardship of Laikipia’s landscape without clichés or sentimentalism, the film doesn’t offer easy answers but instead paints a poignant picture of a community caught between history, survival, and the challenges of an uncertain future. This patient observational documentary portrays a microcosm of broader environmental and social issues that are playing out in other parts of the world, avoiding oversimplification to leave the viewer with an understanding that the future of Laikipia — like many other places — will require solutions that reckon with both ecological and social realities.
Director: Daphne Matziaraki, Peter Murimi
Producers: Toni Kamau, Daphne Matziaraki
Coproducer: Maya Craig
Cinematography: Daphne Matziaraki, Peter Murimi, Maya Craig
Editing: Sam Soko
Music: William R. Fritch
World sales: MetFilm
Venue: DOK Leipzig (Audience Competition)
94 minutes
In Swahili, English, Samburu
