Factors influencing intra- group conflicts among HIV/aids community based organizations: A case of Nyeri town constituency, Nyeri county, Kenya

Abstract

The prevalence of HIV and AIDS in Kenya remains a matter of great concern to the Kenyan people especially the policy makers. The Government of Kenya has initiated a number of measures to curb the epidemic since it was declared a national disaster in the year 1999. In an effort to implement prevention, care and treatment, mitigation of social economic impact of HIV and AIDS, the National AIDS Control Council was established in 2000 to spear head the fight against HIV and AIDS and to coordinate a multi sectoral response bringing together Government and non Government actors like the Community Based Organisation hereby referred to as CBOs. The study aimed at establishing factors influencing Intra Group conflicts among HIV and AIDS CBOs in Nyeri Town Constituency, Nyeri County. To this end, the study scrutinized the influence of how competition of monetary resources, communication, incompatibility of goals and power struggle result to intra group conflict. Descriptive research design was adopted with systematic random sampling method applied when analysing the target population. Structured and unstructured design Questionnaires were developed and used for data collection. The data that was gathered was analysed using SPSS package. The target population of the study was sixty CBOs domiciled in Nyeri Town Constituency. The study established that HIV needs far outweigh available resources, there is selective release of information to CBO members by the CBO leaders, CBOs priorities are in conflict with non CBO members, CBO members do undermine their leaders decisions, CBOs share documents freely, there is adherence to work plans and proposals and there is adequate consultations when key decisions are made. This study has recommended on need to capacity build CBOs on leadership and management and this recommendation should be taken up by NACC as the primary Government body mandated to capacity build CBOs. The study recommends the need for further research to be done on whose priorities CBOs respond to when implementing HIV and AIDS activities since community members priorities and group members priorities do not agree as the study found out. There is need for a study on leadership and factors influencing high leadership turnover among CBOs