Conflict resolution in forest management:Case study of Trans-Mara district in Kenya

Abstract

This paper analyzes conflict resolution in forest management, specifically in Kenya's Trans-Mara District. It argues that conflict in forest resource management is intertwined with the issue of ownership of forest resources in Trans-Mara. It asserts that the conflict is exacerbated by the absence of a comprehensive and integrated resource tenure regime in Kenya. This paper also argues that forest resource management in Trans-Mara is inseperable from the issue of wildlife conservation. The paper finds that the human-wildlife contradiction here revolves around ownership of wildlife, compensation for wildlife damage and for non-cultivation. The paper concludes that there is need for a comprehensive and integrated legal resource tenure in Kenya. It also calls for a multiple resource tenure regime to provide for access to and utilization of natural resources while recognizing the interrelationship between land, forests, soil, wildlife and water resources.