Resource-Based Conflict and Education Access in Secondary Schools in Laikipia County, Kenya.
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2025-10
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Education is a fundamental right that must not be ignored in any context. Nevertheless, existing political circumstances like resource-based conflicts have significantly hindered teachers, families, students, and other important stakeholders from achieving this objective. This research aimed to examine the connection between resource-based conflicts and access to education in Laikipia County. The primary objective of this study was to examine the effect of ethnicity on educational access in secondary schools within Laikipia County, Kenya. The second aim was to assess the impact of agro-pastoral conflicts on educational access. Additionally, the research sought to evaluate how cattle rustling affects access to education. Finally, the investigation focused on the implications of small arms proliferation on educational access in Laikipia County, Kenya. The theoretical framework included Conflict Theories, Socio-Cultural Theory, and Rational Choice Theory. A mixed-methods approach was utilized to collect both qualitative and quantitative data, guided by four independent variables: ethnicity, agro-pastoral conflict, cattle rustling, and the proliferation of small arms. The study has one dependent variable which is education access. The study's target population was identified through the stratified random sampling method, which categorized participants into distinct groups, including school principals, heads of households, security personnel, and representatives from teachers' unions. The sample size was determined to be approximately 236 respondents, with data gathered via semi-structured questionnaires that featured both open-ended and Likert scale items. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics and regression models for quantitative data, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. The information was systematically coded and organized into themes and visual representations. The results indicated that over 75% of respondents acknowledged that factors such as ethnicity, agro-pastoral conflicts, cattle rustling, and the spread of small arms adversely affect access to education in secondary schools within Laikipia County, Kenya. This study concludes that Inter-ethnic clashes have indeed impacted student’s ability to access education, frequent land invasions by pastoralists and farmers have disrupted educational activities in secondary schools in Laikipia County, and cattle rustling in these regions have increased the likelihood of attacks which has resulted in drastic impact on secondary school education and proliferations of small arms have increased incidences of violent crimes to secondary schools in Laikipia County. The research suggests that the Ministry of Education ought to extend necessary support to regions impacted by inter-ethnic conflicts. Additionally, the Laikipia County government should implement development policies and land tenure systems that adequately acknowledge the needs and interests of pastoralists, alongside those of agriculturalists, ranchers, and urban populations.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfillment for the Requirement of the Award of Degree of Master in Public Policy and Administration. October, 2025
supervisor
Heather Kipchumba