The Role of Indigenous Peace Committees in Mitigating Inter-Communal Cattle Rustling in Northern Kenya

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 3, No. 7, July 2012 | pp. 162–170

DOI: 10.46882/2012/GJPCS/000042

Research Article

The Role of Indigenous Peace Committees in Mitigating Inter-Communal Cattle Rustling in Northern Kenya

Ekou Eremon¹

¹Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kakamega, Kenya

Abstract: Environmental degradation and small arms proliferation have intensified traditional resource-sharing skirmishes among pastoralist networks in East Africa. This study investigates the operational impacts of indigenous peace committees in preventing inter-communal cattle raiding along the Kenya-Ethiopia cross-border zone. Operating through a participatory action framework, empirical data were gathered from 500 borderland residents and 28 focal group sessions across three counties. Descriptive and inferential statistics demonstrated that sectors featuring active indigenous peace committees experienced a 52% lower incidence of youth-led retaliatory raids during seasonal droughts compared to unmonitored pastures (p < 0.001). Qualitative narratives revealed that elders utilize traditional truth-telling and asset-tracking mechanisms to settle resource disputes before violence escalates. However, the data highlights that a lack of formal legislative support limits committee integration into regional police networks (mean structural barrier score of 4.2 ± 0.6 on a 5-point scale). The study underscores the necessity of linking traditional restorative justice frameworks with national early-warning security networks.

Keywords: indigenous peace committees, cattle rustling, Northern Kenya, pastoralist conflict, cross-border security, conflict mitigation

Manuscript Timeline: Received March 18, 2012; Revised May 10, 2012; Accepted June 04, 2012; Published July 22, 2012.

Citation: Eremon, E. (2012). The Role of Indigenous Peace Committees in Mitigating Inter-Communal Cattle Rustling in Northern Kenya. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 3(7), 162–170. DOI: 10.46882/2012/GJPCS/000042

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