| dc.description.abstract | In almost every region of the world, Kenya included, supply of water is becoming more difficult because of increasing demands associated with industrialization, increasing urbanization, irrigation and growing population. This has lead to the challenge of achieving equitable universal allocation and distribution of river water resources. Based on this, water conflicts are common in Kenya‘s Ewaso Ngiro North Catchment area (ENNCA) since people started settling and carrying out farming activities in the upper part of the catchment, leading to the management of the water resources through community based organisations referred to as Water Resources Users Associations (WRUAs) whose intention is to act to resolve conflicts over water. This study sought to investigate the influence of WRUAs in water conflict resolution among communities in Sub Catchment 5BE which traverses parts of Meru and Laikipia counties in ENNCA Catchment. Descriptive research was used to look at the variables that were studied, where both quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted. Data was collected by use of questionnaires, which were administered to the target population of 559 members of the 7 WRUAs in Sub catchment 5BE. A sample size of 140 members out of 317 members from 4 randomly sampled WRUAs was drawn where a total of 116 WRUA members and 8 WRUA stakeholders responded. The data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics, according to the research questions and objectives of the study. Statistical Package for Social Scientists and Microsoft Excel were used for interpretation and data presented using frequency data analysis. The results showed that 83.6% of the WRUA members indicated that indeed WRUA‘s management was able to resolve water conflicts, while 86.2% of the WRUA members indicated that WRUA leaders were influential in their respective communities. The computed Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient depicts a strong negative correlation between WRUA‘s conflict resolution strategies to solve conflict and conflict prevalence, strong negative correlation between WRUA‘s training to community in solving conflicts and conflict prevalence This means that the strategies and approaches used in conflict management by WRUAs, are helpful in reducing water conflicts while more training on reducing water conflicts are required. 67.2% of the WRUA members indicated that culture resulted into water conflicts while 27.6% of the WRUA members indicated that culture did not result into water conflict. The study therefore concludes that the WRUA‘s leadership and management style, strategies and approaches used by the WRUAs trainings, culture and religion of the communities influence water conflict management. In light of the above findings, the study recommends that WRUA leaders should be trained and empowered, on conflict resolution management through negotiation, mediation, reconciliation and arbitration, without compromising their quality of leadership and on how to respect other people‘s culture and religion and on co-existence. This study can be of importance to policy makers in the Government in matters of planning and policy formulation regarding water conflict resolution and management | en |
