The 2002 election of president kibaki is notable for the relative lack of organized violence and was deemed to be fair and free, although there were reported. Ethnic characteristics are a universal and ubiquitous feature of humanity. The nakuru county peace accord or rift valley peace accord refers to the peace agreement signed on 19 august 2012 between elders of the agikuyu see also kikuyu and kalenjin communities as well as other ethnic groups of kenya the agreement was signed following a 16monthlong peace process led by the national cohesion and integration commission ncic to. Understanding an elusive concept 9 3 ethnic identity and politics. Mau mau armed resistance movement established by african communities mostly from the central kenya region whose task was to fight for kenyas independence. Womens access to rights in northern kenya, which focuses on the dynamics of intracommunal conflict, with particular focus on women and the role of the victim. Afroasian socioeconomic and political relations in nyanza province of kenya onyango omenya, gordon on. In developing country incidence were low and in the developing sever. This book analyses the ethnic conflict that engulfed kenya s rift valley province at the turn of the nineties when multiparty democratic politics were being reintroduced in the country.
The proliferation of the small firearms is already a great security concern in the larger northern kenya and is slowly affecting communities. The researcher sampled joro, kuresoi and molo constituencies. The interplay of these elements is worth examining. The manual is accessed from the bottom but ton on the right. Ethnic tensions threaten to engulf postelection kenya. A significant increase in the severity of such conflicts between the various ethnic groups inhabiting the country was witnessed after the introduction of multiparty politics in the early 1990s, especially during the 200708 kenyan crisis. Ethnic conflicts in kenya occur frequently, although most are minor skirmishes. Laissezfaire unwillingness by legal authorities to bring culprits to book. Processes of conflict resolution in africa are characterised by three dimensions which include the nature of conflicts, conflict resolution mechanisms and the outcome of such mechanisms. Violence broke out in kenya following the presidential election held on 27 december 2007. Ten years after a disputed presidential poll brought kenya to the brink of civil war, the august 2017 general election was won comfortably by president uhuru kenyatta. Pdf ethnicity as the root cause of conflict and its.
Conflict in northern kenya from a regional perspective. We find that the sampled households are worried about future land conflicts on 9. Most countries in subsaharan africa are home to diverse ethnic groups living together within borders that were arbitrarily drawn during the colonial period. Ethnicity became an issue in kenyas recent elections because of a political power struggle that found it useful to fan passions to mobilize support. Ethnic divisions are at the heart of recent conflicts in europe, south asia, and africa, including the rwandan genocide desforges 1999, that have had enormous human costs. Existence of traditional conflict resolution mechanisms such as negotiation, reconciliation, mediation and others is evidence that these concepts are not new in africa. Jan 31, 2008 the month of ethnic bloodletting in kenya has historic roots. Kenya has a vibrant peacebuilding sector and strong civil society and other organizations that. Mobilisers from elsewhere may induce individuals to change their relative preference for ethnic. Some problems and prospects of ethnoregional federalism article pdf available in journal of contemporary african studies 243. Causes of religious conflicts in kenya religious conflict in kenya is in most cases linked to general intercommunal conflict and follows almost synonymous pattern as that of inter ethnic conflict. Performing organization names and addresses naval postgraduate school.
Political succession and related conflicts in kenya charles n. Ethnic and political conflicts since independence in 1963, kenya has been known to be a relatively peaceful country. Developing country management ethnic conflict by participation and justice policy that the equality is the best way for resolve this problem. Conflict profile after its independence in 1964, governments continuation of divide and rule tactics, forced displacement, and arbitrary borders. In 2007, elections in kenya erupted in violence, leaving 1,000 people dead lynch, 2011, 2. Theory and facts this copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. A government survey completed in 2010 counted an estimated million cattle, 25 million goats, 14. The basis of understanding conflict, security and collective wellbeing of people includes relationships that dominate interactions of two or more entities in contact with one another. Escalation and resolution of border disputes and interstate conflicts in africa. According to oxfam international 2007, the cost of conflict on african. Managing natural resource conflicts in kenya through. Herders and farmers although the recent violence in kenya has been described in the press as between pokot and samburu pastoralists.
Conflict profile after its independence in 1964, governments continuation of divide and rule tactics, forced displacement, and arbitrary borders of the colonial era left deep wounds in kenyan society. Even in the supposedly more sophisticated or developed countries like kenya, thirty years of independence and nation building had still failed to create any real sense of national identity that could transcend the tribe. The most significant conflict witnessed since kenyas independence from britain was the 200708 kenyan crisis, a series of interethnic clashes ignited by the 2007 disputed presidential elections by the beginning of 2008, an estimated one third of the 2,200 member indian community in kisumu, which controlled most of the citys trade, had begun repatriating back. Its central thesis is that ethnic conflict in the country then was a function of several issues, among them ethnocentrism, politics, the land question and.
Conflict resolution and peace buildind in africa as a. Ethnic and political conflicts in kenya intercontinental. The relations between asian and african communities of. Managing natural resource conflicts in kenya through negotiation and mediation kariuki muigua, ph. Finally, in section vi, i reassess the conflict in kenya by incorporating kenyas economic and social history and the nature of ethnic politics. Present day ethnic and political conflicts in kenya have their roots in colonialism and are exacerbated by a presently dual narrative as to the mau mau and other rebellions that took place across kenya in the 1950s. Traditional conflict resolution mechanisms and institutions. Kenya, a former colony par excellence, which underwent a bitter colonial experience very, much like south africas apartheid and zimbabwes model, makes a good case study on ethnic conflict. Berghof research center for constructive conflict management berghof handbook dialogue no. Since the period of decolonization, many of these places have been the scenes of significant.
Conflict sensitive reporting international media support. African wars and ethnic conflicts human development. It also represents a good ethnic mix of the kikuyu, the kalenjin, kisii, ogiek, luo. Constitutional and legislative tools 40 6 conclusion and recommendations 48 selected bibliography 50.
Escalation and resolution of border disputes and interstate. There have been some conflicts but not the kind of conflicts which have rocked other african countries through the decades. It gives a clear view about historical and contemporary negative ethnicity in kenya. This book provides graphic and scholarly perspectives of ethnic conflict in kenya where ethnocentrism has grown with time and where both ethnic and administrative units are coterminous. The relations between asian and african communities of kenya. This paper was presented during a workshop on kenya with the theme conflict resolution in kenya. A paper prepared for the usaid conference on conflict resolution in the greater horn of africa held at methodist guest house, nairobi, 2728 march 1997.
The study in this paper is about the scholarly view on concepts which are consistent with the study topic. The misdiagnosis of african conflicts as ethnic ignores the. Kenyas new constitution and conflict transformation. But incidence of ethnic violence was different in varying country. Taking stock of a political crisis at the university of the witwatersrand, johannesburg, on 18 july 2008. As a general rule, the process of conflict outbreak involves three key stages, background, escalatiion and trigger. Much of the violence was linked to a long history of land conflicts dating back to kenyas colonial period when german and then british policies forced people from their customary. March 2011 widespread violence that broke out following kenyas presidential elections in 2007 claimed 0 lives and displaced as many as 600,000 individuals. I conclude that ethnicity is only a superficial cause of the violence in kenya, and that fundamentally the violence is the result of an inadequate state capacity to ensure the basic needs of its. In kenya, the kikuyu still think the luo are inferior and that they, the kikuyu, have the right to rule.
Keywords conflict management, informal settlements, kenya, kibera. Nakuru county was chosen because it has had a history of aggravated incidences of armed ethnic conflict from 1991 to 2008. This is the scenario hypothesized for the vast pastoral areas of kenya where violent conflict has. Focus on land history of land conflicts in kenya countries. Ethnic politics in kenya violence in twentieth century africa. Irin a string of attacks by gunmen on communities in kenyas southeastern coast province over the past six weeks has left more than 100 people. This handbook in conflict sensitive journalism special edition kenya is part of ims. Locating the nexus 14 4 politicization of ethnic identity in kenya 16 5 overcoming ethnic politics. Mauro 1995, presumably due to political conflict and lack of cooperation across ethnic groups. This paper attempts to demonstrate that this idea is mistaken. In recent times, east africa has been affected by some of the continents worst conflicts, including ugandas ongoing conflict between the government and the lords resistance army lra, kenyas postelection violence, border disputes between eritrea and ethiopia, and the civil war in somalia. June 2012 1london school of economics, cep, cepr and nber f. We still include, however, parcels that were borrowed from relatives or others for free. According to babbie 2009, data collection methods for primary data include.
Questions and answers about the conflict in kenya the. The illicit firearms used in the raids reach kenya from conflictprone neighbouring countries such as southern sudan, somalia, ethiopia and northern uganda kumssa et al. Its central thesis is that ethnic conflict in the country then was a function of several issues, among them ethnocentrism, politics, the land question and criminal behaviour in certain circles. The countrys struggle for independence was bitter and explosive, then a racial conflict that pitted africans against the colonialists. Within the conceptual framework of conflict transformation, this paper analyses the ways in which sections of kenyas new constitution, adopted on 27 august 2010, address the root causes of conflict and examines how the new constitution provides for reforms on governance, democracy, human rights, ethnicity and resource sharing. And the dispute over last months presidential election has aggravated those. Questions and answers about the conflict in kenya originally published january 4, 2008 at 12. Conflict resolution and peace buildind in africa as a process.
Culture and conflict in northern kenya springerlink. The illicit firearms used in the raids reach kenya from conflict prone neighbouring countries such as southern sudan, somalia, ethiopia and northern uganda kumssa et al. The most recent violence in kenya has roots in a complex mixture of ethnic conflict, economic exigencies related to climate change, and national and local politics. Limited rainfall means less pasture and water, and this scarcity of essential resources is becoming the main cause of conflict. To focus on own parcels, we exclude 381 parcels that were rentedin for rent payments. Reacting to the sudden outbreak of violence in kenya and the mounting pressure on. About gsdrc gsdrc is a partnership of research institutes, thinktanks and consultancy organisations with expertise in governance, social development, humanitarian and conflict issues. Elections and violent conflict in kenya the web site cannot be found.
Although reforms introduced in the 2010 constitution have helped avert largescale fighting, sporadic outbreaks of violence followed claims by opposition leader raila odinga that results had been manipulated. Custom writing service natural resources and conflict. Article information, pdf download for home of last resort. Grievances over land and privilege date back decades. Resourcebased conflicts in droughtprone north western kenya. Custom writing service natural resources and conflict in. If you wish to distribute this article to others, you can order highquality copies for your following the guidelines here. Resourcebased conflicts in droughtprone north western. In the first half of 2007, sitting president mwai kibaki pnu has a lead in the polls but in the months preceding the election he is passed by his. In the first half of 2007, sitting president mwai kibaki pnu has a lead in the polls but in the months preceding the election he is passed by his main. To properly understand the role of cultural issues in human security, it is important to clearly outline the social and organizational structures that, according to karlberg 2004, include the political, economic, legal, and other social arrangements related to authority, relations of production, systems of resource distribution, and division of labor. Madoadoa immigrant ethnic communities who are not desired by indigenous people in a certain area. We provide applied knowledge services on demand and online.
Download limit exceeded you have exceeded your daily download allowance. Urban land conflict and the nubians in kibera, kenya sage journals. One of the key drivers of conflict in kenya is the dimension of community identities which is itself closely related to the issue of land, borders and associated historical grievances plus a challenging regional environment and political transition. Kenya, which focuses on the role of the judiciary in the arid lands. Afroasian socioeconomic and political relations in nyanza province. As the countrys rift valley attracted inmigration since independence in 1963, it became the seedbed of a simmering ethnic strife that exploded in 199193, causing a flood of internally. In african states that have a multi ethnic character, these intrastate conflicts have often pitted ethnic communities against each other. The month of ethnic bloodletting in kenya has historic roots. The causes of ethnic conflict in multiethnic societies. Article information, pdf download for the political conditions for local.