Factors influencing the implementation of ethnic conflict management strategies in Kenya: a case of Moyale District

Abstract

In Kenya, ethnic conflict plays a critical role in the displacement of populations, loss of lives, destruction of property and armed conflict. Despite sustained efforts to manage ethnic conflicts, research findings show that the conflicts keep recurring at alarming rate, pointing to a failure of conflict management strategies. The purpose of this study is to find the factors influencing the implementation of ethnic conflict management strategies with specific reference to Moyale District. The study determined the influence of religion, stakeholders, resources, government and other agencies in conflict management. Descriptive survey design was used in the study.

The target population comprised a total of 35 provincial administration officials from the Moyale district, 50 local leaders from the 22 sub-locations and 100 religious leaders selected from each of the 22 sub-locations. A list of all provincial administrators obtained from the DC's office was used to sample members of the provincial administration, community and religious leaders were established and simple random sampling technique employed to sample each of the respondents in this category. Data was collected from members of the provincial administration with the aid of questionnaires while focused group discussion guide was employed to collect data from religious leaders and community leaders.

The collected data was analyzed by generating descriptive statistics such as frequency distributions, averages and percentages. Tables of frequency distributions were prepared wherever possible, and excel computer program used to generate graphs and diagrams for presenting data. The study found that are no specific conflict management strategies put in place to counter conflicts whenever they occurred as each source of conflict had its dynamics different from any of the previous ones. As such, conflicts were managed according to their nature of occurrence.

Further, the study found that natural resource was the major cause of conflicts among the inhabitants of Moyale District. The study therefore recommends that, basing on previous pattern of conflicts and management strategies employed to quell them, the provincial government should come up with a number of conflict management strategies that can be easily applied whenever conflicts arose. It also recommends that the relevant government agency should survey the boundaries of pastoralists and put up physical demarcations that can help local residents to easily identify their territories.