Linnet HamasiOdhiambo, Fredrick Ochieng2023-07-192023-07-192023http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/26324A Project Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Arts in Peace and Conflict Management in the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences of Kenyatt~Unlversity_ March 2023Protracted conflicts amongst Pastoral Communities in Kenya mostly result from incidents of cattle rustling and banditry. Around the country, it has' shown up in varied scales and proportions. In this study, three goals were examined: the first was how competition for limited resources influences persistent conflicts in Baringo County; the second was how inter-ethnic conflicts influence persistent conflicts in Baringo County; and the third was how local politics influence persistent conflicts in Baringo County. The study, which covered the years 1992 to 2020, was conducted fully in Baringo County. The work was guided by the Protracted Social Theory (PSC) of Edward Azar and the Conflict Theory of Johan Galtung. Many different research approaches were used in the study. The sample size was 100 respondents, and both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered. The study found that protracted disputes in the area are influenced by rivalry over resources like water, pasture, animal ownership, and access to food and shelter. The study demonstrated that inter-ethnic conflicts affect protracted conflicts in the region especially when it develops from marginality, poverty, indigenous description, and politics. The study found that politics played a significant role in confrontations in Baringo, particularly when it came to leaders' instigation of communities. The study also found that cultural characteristics that were being politicized to intensify the disputes had an impact on the type of politics surrounding those conflicts. These cultural practices included early marriages, dowry obligations, youth-adult transition, lost livestock due to sickness or drought, increased cattle herd size, low education levels, and illegal brews. The study found that the effects on human security include loss of life or death, property destruction, cattle loss, disruption of education, increased small arms proliferation, environmental harm, state insecurity and vulnerability, criminality, insurgency, and terrorism. The study concluded that some of the causes contributing to the persistence of cattle rustling and banditry in Baringo are competition over water and the increase of grazing acreage for pasture. The study indicated that ethnic friction offers an incentive to communities to participate in cattle rustling in Baringo County. According to the study's fmdings, local elites' conflicting political interests significantly contribute to the escalation and maintenance of interethnic conflict in Baringo County. The study found that prolonged disputes in Baringo County had a detrimental effect on human security. The study recommended that there is a need to introduce other economic activities to substitute livestock keeping in Baringo County. It recommends that inclusivity, cohesion, and cultural tolerance need to be encouraged among communities in Baringo County. The study also recommended .that the escalation of political interest during the electioneering period needs to be monitored to avoid incitement among societies.enProtracted ConflictLivelihoodPastoral CommunitiesKenyaBaringo County1992-2020Thesis