What factors cause land-based conflicts to turn violent? This report, published by the Institute for Security Studies, analyses and traces the trajectory of a decade-long conflict in the Mount Elgon region of Kenya. A government land resettlement programme – intended primarily for squatters of the Mosop and Soy clans of the Sabaot ethnic group – fell apart under clan and ethnic tension. This report asserts the presence of a significant political dimension to the conflict. A sustainable and peaceful resolution will only result from a variety of processes undertaken in a spirit that is consultative, inclusive and transparent.
Land-based conflicts occur with almost rhythmic regularity in Kenya, often in connection with moments of national political importance. The festering conflict in Mount Elgon District, while embedded in post-colonial land politics and other ongoing land conflicts, has erupted disastrously since 2006. During the finalisation of land allocations, some settled members of the Soy clan, forced to relocate, formed the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF). Although the Kenyan armed forces have since brutally restored order, this has come at a major human cost, and a final resolution remains in doubt.
From a detailed review of the land resettlement programme, since its inception in the 1970s up to the recent conflict, the following findings emerge:
- The root cause of the Mount Elgon District conflict is indisputably land, specifically growing competition and issues of unequal access and distribution. The problem can be traced back to colonial policies of land dispossession and the subsequent inaction of the post-colonial government.
- The interaction of pre-existing factors – including a history of violence in the region, ethnonationalist politics and local economic prospects – inflamed the conflict. The presence of multiple grievances, and the interrelations of clientist networks at the local and national levels, contributed to the geographic reach and duration of the conflict.
- Initial government response centred on dialogue and a flexible, multi-pronged approach. With the failure of this strategy, the government deployed the army in a military campaign, resulting in major success in terms of apprehending militia and recovering weapons.
- On the other hand, the army’s aggressive tactics have led to accusations of human rights abuses and undermined the confidence of the local population, stoking fears of persecution. Furthermore, the military response has had little impact on the root causes of the conflict.
The following measures are recommended as steps towards completing the resettlement programme successfully, restoring community harmony and defusing the land issue:
- Streamlining all military activity and transparently addressing allegations of human rights abuses would restore faith in the workings of the state. On the other hand, proposals of amnesty for militia risks perpetuating a culture of impunity and are thus inappropriate.
- The government should play a role in aiding displaced persons as they begin their lives again. An important step would be to compensate innocent civilians who lost property from either militia or police actions, through an appropriate mechanism.
- Border surveillance, and cooperation between Kenyan and Ugandan forces, is another relevant issue. This needs to be addressed in order to prevent militia from re-launching their activities from the Ugandan side.
- The area’s remoteness and its dependence on land resources should be lessened by a state-led economic development programme. Diversification of the economy, with an emphasis on involving young people in production, should be part of this effort.
