Determinants of Land Use Conflicts among Farming and Pastoral Communities in Tana Delta, Tana River County, Kenya
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Date
2025-08
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Patterns of violent conflict in pastoralist communities have been progressively generated in the last two decades by highly politicized land demands promoted by political elites who frequently use historical "injustices" and current violations to gain symbolic capital with their electorate. Administrative borders, exclusive property access, and initiatives to maintain an ethnically homogeneous electorate have consequently become contentious topics. Decentralization and recent developments in democratic development, which have opened up new avenues for resolving territorial disputes, are inextricably tied to these dynamics. This difficulty has been compounded in northern Kenya, where many pastoralist groups are undergoing fast changes in their land-use relationships. Land conflicts have erupted in the Tana River delta as people seek land for farming and greener pastures. As such, this research was done to find out what causes the persistent land disputes between farmers and herders in the Tana Delta. Three research objectives were devised to guide the study. The research objectives were as follows: first, to explore the political, social, and economic variables fuelling disputes over natural resources in Tana Delta; second, to evaluate the impacts of the legal as well as customary regulatory systems put into effect in Tana Delta on land-use conflict; and third, to investigate Tana Delta community members' perceptions of addressing natural resource conflicts. The research was based on the understanding that despite repeated attempts by the government to put an end to the hostilities between farmers and herders, they have escalated and are now unsustainable from an economic and social standpoint. To obtain data, standard questionnaires and fundamental interview procedures were followed. Tana Delta families were chosen as the study's target demographic. Statistical social science software SPSS version 24 was used to clean and analyse the gathered data. Pie charts, graphs, and tables were used to show the results. The inquiry produced three important conclusions. These are: first, land ownership, a rush for pasture access, and second, water and political provocation, which leads to confrontation between pastoralists and farmers. Third, the study reported that some of the legal measures that have been adopted to manage disputes in the area include demarcating contested sections of the basin, forming a Tana peace committee, and deploying conflict management institutions. First, people in Tana Delta and other dry areas where conflicts between pastoralists and crop growers are widespread should be educated on the value of peace as well as how they ought to refrain from clashes that result in increased losses and harm. Second, the research proposes that the government and other stakeholders, especially county governments, develop policies to hold any individual found to be instigating or fuelling tensions within communities accountable and to ensure that such individuals face the law. Third, the study advocates for community members to be involved in the creation of peace initiatives in order to lessen resistance. Policy makers also ought to schedule meetings with local residents to solicit their feedback on the policies that will be used to reduce land conflicts.
Description
A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment for the Degree of Masters of Environmental Studies and Community Development in the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences of Kenyatta University, August 2025.