Strategies Employed in Managing Inter-ethnic Conflicts Occasioned by National Elections in Nakuru County between 1992 and 2017

Abstract

Wars and conflicts decide political boundaries, move populations around the world, define political debates, and generally affect just about everything in our societies. Violence is widespread and can be tapped for various reasons, including but not exclusively to election victory. Since the inception of the multiparty system in 1992, there has been a highly volatile political environment in regions with multiple ethnic compositions. The study sought to evaluate the strategies employed in the management of inter-ethnic conflicts occasioned by national elections in Nakuru County, Kenya, between 1992 and 2017. The study was anchored on Democratic theory. The study adopted a descriptive research design. This study targeted the household heads of Kuresoi North and Molo sub-counties. The study population included: government officials, security personnel, CSOs officials, opinion leaders, religious leaders, and youth group representatives. A total sample of 427 was used. Data collection tools adopted were questionnaires, FGDs, and interview guides. The study employed both probability and non-probability sampling techniques. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS), and results were presented in the form of charts, graphs, and tables for quantitative data and in the form of narrative reports and verbatim quotations for qualitative data. The study concluded that the state, which is the lead agency in conflict management, has shifted from macro-level focus to micro-level intervention through local government institutions.