EFFECTIVENESS OF PEACE-BUILDING STRATEGIES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF NATIONAL GENERAL ELECTORAL CONFLICTS IN TRANS-NZOIA COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Figuring out the best strategies for promoting peace requires an understanding of the factors that encourage electoral strife. A combination of both technical approaches attitudetransformation strategies are central to easing of electoral conflict. The past post-election and election-related conflicts in Kenya call for sustainable peace-building interventions. Thus, this study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of peace-building strategies in the management of electoral conflicts in Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya. The study sought to establish specifically the nature of electoral conflicts and the peace-building strategies used to manage these conflicts in Trans Nzoia County, Kenya; assess the effectiveness of peacebuilding strategies used in the management of electoral conflict and examine the challenges and opportunities of peace-building strategies used in the management of electoral conflicts in Trans Nzoia County, Kenya. The study was led by a conceptual framework that tried to explain how peace-building techniques were helpful in managing election tensions. The study is anchored on Peace-building Theory and Conflict Transformation Theory. The study employed descriptive and evaluation research design because of its ability to explain the problem the way it is. The target population for this study comprised selected household heads, village elders and religious leaders. The sample size for the study consisted of 203 participants. Purposive sampling, stratified sampling and systematic sampling techniques were used to select the various categories of participants. Primary data was collected from the respondents using structured questionnaires, interview schedules was used to collect data from key informant and FGD was used to collaborate information collected from selected discussants. SPSS Statistics Version 25.0 was used to analyze quantitative data to provide descriptive statistics, particularly frequencies and percentages and the results were presented in tables and figures. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic narratives and presented thematically in verbatim quotations. The study findings indicate that the major causes of electoral conflicts in the county include unresolved and long standing grievances( 100%), Poor electoral management and administration (95.27%), political elite patronage (91.42%), stiff competition (61.37%) and lack of legal and institutional framework (52.79%). Results also show that peace-building strategies such as sensitization programmes (93.6%), use of grassroots peace advocacy and peace messaging (92.3%), dialogue and mediation (88.8%), training and institution-building activities (60.1%), the adoption of early warning (43.7%) and use of attitude-transformation programs and systems (41.6%) are effective in reducing tensions and preventing violence during and after elections. Overall conclusion is that the most effective peace-building strategy to manage electoral conflicts within Trans Nzoia County is dialogue and mediation. Although the peace-building strategies are affected by some challenges such as mistrust, suspicion, mismanagement of elections, and ethnicity they can improved through utilization of available opportunities such as formulation of relevant policies, use of early warning and response system, collaboration between the police and the political actors, peace advocacy activities, use of local dispute resolution mechanisms and building confidence of electoral actors. The study recommends that the Government of Kenya puts in place measures to address the pre-existing conflict, develop a framework to guide peace-building activities and then strengthen them through training and facilitation and employ programmes aimed at improving citizen trust in public institutions should be enhanced especially through civic education and public participation.