Factors influencing the prevention and management of elections related conflicts; a case of Kitui West Constituency-Kitui County

Abstract

The study investigated the factors that influence prevention and management of election related conflict in Kitui West constituency of Kitui County, Kenya. The main objectives of the study were; to establish the role of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) in prevention and management of election related conflict. To assess the influence of state on prevention and management of election related conflicts, to examine the influence of media on the prevention and management of election related conflict. To assess the influence of the civil society on prevention and management of election related conflicts. To establish the influence of political parties on prevention and management of election related conflict. To ascertain the delimitation of boundaries on prevention and management of election related conflict.

The research design used was descriptive analysis. There were different sampling techniques used for the study due to the nature of the population studied and they included stratified; cluster, random and purposive sampling. Data was collected using two instruments namely a questionnaire and an interview schedule while data analysis was done by use of descriptive statistics. The findings of the study were that EMBs played a key role in prevention and management of election related conflicts through the laws enacted to be followed during the entire voting process. The state was found to have failed because of the many cases which were still pending in courts and also because the courts were seen not to be independent.

The media's role was mainly found to be that of informing people of areas where conflict was likely to occur though it was seen to be accelerating conflict in other instance. Civil societies were found to be providers when and after the conflicts occur though they were credited for being the custodians of civic education. Political parties and their candidates were found not to follow the set laws resulting to various incidents of conflict in the society. Delimitation of the constituencies were found not to have been done as per the set regulations resulting to the many conflicts that were witnessed as well as cases being taken to court on the same.