Cross Border-Conflict Migrants and Intra-Ethnic Conflict in East Africa: The case of the Pokot Pastoralists in North Western Kenya

Abstract

Cross border conflict migrants poses a challenge to the realization of development goals in East Africa’s pastoralism area. The reason for this scenario is because of the presence of the non- ending cross border ethnic conflict particularly in the Kenya Uganda border. This reality of the conflict situation has been a setback to a development progress and vitiates what has already been achieved. This study examines the association between Pokot cross border conflict migrants and the presence of intra-Pokot conflict in the border ranches in Kong’elai Division of Wst Pokot District. The conclusion from this study is that the presence of cross border-conflict migrants is one major factor responsible for the prevalence of intra-Pokot conflict in ranches. The implication of this finding is that intra-Pokot environmentally induced conflict is a more multi-faceted phenomenon than has been hitherto understood. Consequently, it appears that to realize development goals in pastoralist border area in East Africa, the management of cross border ethnic conflict should be one of the imperatives of governance this 21 st Century.