Socio-economic Impacts of Contemporary Cattle Rustling Among Pastoralist Communities. A Case Study of West Pokot County

Abstract

This study examines the socio-economic impacts of cattle rustling on pastoralist communities in West Pokot, Kenya. Efforts to prevent cattle rustling have not yet produced fruit. Cattle rustling, defined as the stealing of livestock, especially cows, has been a global problem from the beginning of time. Cattle rustling is a problem in several pastoralist areas of Kenya, especially West Pokot County, which has the most significant rate of violence connected to livestock raiding. This study aims to determine the influence of information technology, national resources, and cultural behaviours on cattle rustling in pastoralist communities. The research is based on social cubism and use primary and secondary data acquired between 2007 and 2017. The target population for the study consist of 228 respondents, comprising pastoralists, village elders, and communal herders, and the sample size will be determined via systematic random sampling. The results of this study will be helpful for government officials in understanding the essential policy measures to fight cattle rustling, as well as for academics in offering longitudinal studies that complement the current body of literature.