How the sun transformed the fortunes of villagers

Meto village in Kajiado County is a sprawling savannah that rolls into the horizon. To reach Meto, you take a right turn off Namanga Road, just after Bissil, a drab tin township. You travel the twisted and rutted terrain, flanked by thorns and shrubs and through dry riverbeds. Here, Joseph Masankai’s loyalty to tradition is impeccable: He straddles this expansive land looking after his cattle, living in a manyatta and still tucking his sword in his belt. It is a lifestyle that has been passed down generations.

Little appears to have changed here - until the sun sets and another one rises almost immediately. Until recently, Masankai and fellow villagers lit a tin lamp, or koroboi, to light up the night.