The Role of Participatory Communication in De-escalating Human-wildlife Conflict in Kimintet Ward, Transmara Sub County, Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to investigate the role of participatory communication in de-escalating human-wildlife conflict in Kimintet Ward, Transmara sub-county, Kenya. Using Habermas’ theory of Communicative Action and Ethics as the theoretical framework, this study employed a descriptive research design. Mixed method approach was used in collecting primary data from a sample size of 100 respondents and 3 key informants. The 22,843 residents of Kimintet ward were the target population. Data from the study was analysed using both quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques with the assistance of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and Microsoft Application. The study established that majority of the respondents were passively engaged in the development and implementation of human-wildlife conflict interventions in the study area. Communication channels, government policies on compensation and benefit sharing, attitudes and perception of local community towards wildlife, human-wildlife conflict incidents and literacy level were found to influence local community participation in human-wildlife conflict discourses at different levels. Local community in the study area preferred to be engaged in community barazas using the local language (Maasai) followed by Swahili. The study also established that cultural norms, political interference, long distances, poor infrastructure and limited access to media as the major hindrances to participatory communication. This study concluded that participatory communication plays a critical role in the de-escalation of human-wildlife conflict and that in the study area it is not used as a core function in the design and implementation of wildlife management interventions. This study therefore, recommends the need to define the minimum level of engagement in public participation in all the natural resource management initiatives. It further recommends a full enforcement of laws that stipulate community involvement in natural resource management and establishment of relevant frameworks to ensure that the local communities have access to relevant information to facilitate participation.