Abstract:
According to the United Nations news agency, Turkana Pastoralist Community had
experienced malnutrition rates of up to 37.4 percent; the highest recorded in 20 years
and more than double the U.N. World Health Organization emergency threshold of 15
percent. This report showed that the future of pastoral communities is uncertain if
nothing is done due to recurrent drought and famine in SubSaharan Africa. With the
emerging socio economic changes coupled with harsh climatic conditions, the future of
Pastoralism as a source of livelihood will be uncertain. The pace at which these changes are occurring has tended to vary from one region to another; most communities are today working for other means for survival for their livelihoods. Reliance on the
Pastoralism for livelihood per se is no longer practical. This study therefore sought to
examine the emerging socioeconomic changes on Turkana community’s nomadic
livelihoods. The study applied Emile Durkheim theory of Modernization which
emphasizes two types of societies, the traditional and the modern in relation to social
change. The study objective were to examine the socio economic changes taking place
among the Turkana pastoralists, to assess the effects of the changes on the Turkana
community`s livelihoods and to explore appropriate ways of coping up with the
emerging changes cutting across the region. The study was carried out in Turkana
Central district in Turkana County. Given the nature of the area, the study used
descriptive design and on stratified random sampling method to generate information.
Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews, examination of records, observation and focused group discussion. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques were used in determining sample size. Arising from the study findings, numerous socio economic changes were identified ranging from desertification, urbanization, insecurity to high cost of living taking place in Turkana. Most of these changes had impacted on the
community in various ways as stated elsewhere in the document. In conclusion, Turkana
community as any other community under Pastoralism will have to adopt new changes
for survival although Pastoralism still remains as a key source of their livelihood
