How did famine and disease affect the Kikuyu and Maasai during the late 19th century?

During the 1890s, the Kikuyu faced severe famine and smallpox outbreaks, which forced them to vacate significant portions of land in present-day Kiambu county and withdraw toward the north.12

The Maasai experienced a similarly devastating period during the late 19th century. Their cattle herds were decimated by outbreaks of rinderpest or pleuropneumonia starting in 1883, with further infestations occurring in 1889–90. Additionally, the Maasai population was overwhelmed by epidemics of smallpox. These crises were compounded by internal political instability following the death of their great laibon, Mbatian, which fractured the group into warring factions. Ultimately, these combined hardships left the Maasai unable to recover their former power as European administrators and traders began to establish control over the region.12