Determinants influencing the implementation of ethnic conflict management strategies in Garissa county

Abstract

Conflict is a threat to human life. It arises when two or more parties have incompatible goals. The purpose of this study is to find the determinants influencing the implementation of ethnic conflict management strategies with specific reference to Garissa County. The study was motivated by the need to investigate the root causes of the continues conflict between related communities which coexisted for ages only to start clashing in the resent past yet the government security mechanisms and indigenous institutions that traditionally managed conflicts in the community contained the conflict in the past. 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 Garissa County, 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 County Commissioner’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 analysed 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 it is clear that ethnic conflicts are rampant in Garissa County and have not been eliminated as yet and therefore will still recur. Since the major reasons for most of the conflicts are due to competition for natural resources, elimination of conflicts seems not to be possible. Most natural resources are non-renewable and as long as they are in short supply, there will be always be conflicts over them. Further, the study found that natural resource was the major cause of conflicts among the inhabitants of Garissa County. The study therefore recommends that, there is need to establish peace zones and other non-violent defense strategies in Kenya, because unless serious attention and commitment are undertaken in the area of conflict management, Kenya especially the greater north eastern will sooner or later degenerate into a theater of turmoil, characterized by animosity, violence, ethnic prejudice, suspicion and genocide.