Land Ownership and Conflicts in Laikipia North Sub-County, (1895-2020)
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Date
2025-02
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Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Land conflicts in Laikipia County have been covered by local media for years and have been a subject under scrutiny by various agencies, including the Kenya Government and Non- Governmental Organizations. Land conflicts have hindered the socioeconomic activities of the residents of Laikipia County. The objectives of the study were to: analyze the status of the Maasai-British settler land conflicts (1880-1963); demonstrate the escalation of land conflict in Laikipia County following the in-migration of Agikuyu into the area during Kenyatta‘s reign (1963-1978); investigate the nature of land conflict in Laikipia during the reign of President Moi (1978-2002), assess the changing nature of land conflict and its impact in Laikipia during the reign of President Kibaki (2002-2010) and analyze the Land Conflict in Laikipia after the Promulgation of 2010 Constitution in Kenya. The study was conducted in Laikipia County, Kenya, and was narrowed down to Laikipia North sub-County due to the fact that it is the home to the three main players involved in the conflict, namely the Maasai who are pastoralists, Agikuyu who are farmers and the European settlers who are ranchers. The study adopted a survey research design. Primary data was collected using Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, and archival sources. Secondary data was collected from Government reports, journal articles, print media, and the thesis. Descriptive data analysis methods, verbatim and documentary analysis, were utilized during data analysis. The study adopted the protracted social conflict theory by Edward Azar‘s (1990). According to Azar, the denial of human needs to a large population initiates cases of protracted social violence, as witnessed in Laikipia, where the conflict is highly blamed on resource struggle between farmers, pastoralists, and white settlers who own ranches. A significant concern of the study was to identify the possible triggers of conflict and the role played by each category of players. The study's findings are that land leases, beliefs and traditions, sand harvesting, and environmental extremes are Laikipia's main sources of conflict. The study recommends peace resolution strategies for utilizing resources in Laikipia that can be applied in other regions facing land conflicts in Kenya.
Description
A Thesis Submitted to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Arts at Kenyatta University, February 2025.
Supervisor
1. Edwin Gimode
2. Francis Mulu