 To facilitate the scheme, between 1978 and 1981 the Tanzanian Government summarily alienated 40 hectares of prime grazing land for seven farms, and in doing so disrupted the grazing rotation and evicted many from their lands.This area was held as communal land and like common property elsewhere it presented difficulties for the Barabaig to defend While some herders occupied this land, others only accessed it at certain times in the year, but as they were not there all the time it was thought to belong to no one and regarded as 'vacant' and justifying its taking

While no one can own land in Tanzania, they can have customary rights of use over it.As the Barabaig had occupied this area for at least 150 years, they had customary claim to it.