Influence of Conflict Resolution Strategies on Social Economic Development Among Pastoralist Communities in Kenya. A Case of Isiolo County

Abstract

Conflicts have many implications being political, economic, social, and cultural. Conflict lead to lowering of economic productivity, weakening of political institutions of governance, incapacity to provide essential services, destruction and depletion of existing resources, loss of food production, and capital flight. There exist different methods of managing conflicts. The most prevalent among the pastoral communities being the traditional justice system. Under this system the methods are negotiation, mediation (or compromise), reconciliation, arbitration, and litigation This study sought to achieve the following objectives; To assess the extent to which negotiations influence social economic development among pastoralist communities in Kenya, To evaluate how reconciliation influence social economic development among pastoralist communities in Kenya, to establish extent to which mediation influence social economic development among pastoralist communities in Kenya. Finally, to find out how adjudication/arbitration influence social economic development among pastoralist communities in Kenya. The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of conflict resolution strategies on social economic development among pastoralist communities in Kenya with special reference to Isiolo County. The study used descriptive design while the target population for this study comprised the various stakeholders in Isiolo County. A sample population of 193 respondents was used in this study selected using stratified and random sampling technique. Primary data was obtained using self-administered questionnaires. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 22.0). Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, mean score and standard deviation were used for all the quantitative variables and information presented inform of tables while multiple regression analysis was used to establish the relations between the independent and dependent variables. The study found that adjudication/arbitration strategy had the greatest effect on the social economic development among pastoralist communities, followed by reconciliation strategy, then negotiation strategy while level of mediation strategy had the least effect to the social economic development among pastoralist communities. The study concludes that negotiation strategies had positively affected social economic development among pastoralist communities in Isiolo County. Regarding the reconciliation strategies, the study concluded that reconciliation strategies had a positive influences social economic development among pastoralist communities in Isiolo County. Capacity to reorient the parties and new and shared perception had a great influence on social economic development among pastoralist communities in Isiolo County. However, the study concludes that equality of opportunity was found to have a little positive influence on social economic development among pastoralist communities in Isiolo County. The study recommends promotion of meetings and discussion between communities, increased inter-community recuperation and reinsertion, strong intercommunity social cohesion. Further the study recommends that concession and compromise should be done in first instance or immediately when a particular offence takes place. There is also need for strengthening of existing values, norms and culture and conflict resolution mechanisms. This will have consensual outcomes. Enhanced Mutual satisfying outcomes and compliance with the agreement plans and inter-community mutual satisfying outcomes on social economic development. The study further recommends that diminishing natural resource base does not automatically lead to violent conflict if there are functional local institutions, enforceable, respected land use plans and mechanisms and actualizing access to justice for negotiating cross-territorial grazing access in periods of scarcity.