Between May 2023 and October 2023, a citizen engagement project took place in Kenya’s Frontier Counties Development Council (FCDC) – a region encompassing ten county governments in the northeastern part of the country. Spearheaded by Africa’s Voices in collaboration with FCDC and the Institute of Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) at Garissa University, and funded by the Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development (SDC), the initiative aimed to shed light on the status of security in the North Eastern region of Kenya.
The primary objective of this endeavour was to conduct a diagnostic radio series, broadcasted on seven local radio stations, to gather citizen data on peace, identify barriers and drivers, and propose solutions for sustainable peace and development. The project unfolded in a region marked by diversity, with counties like Garissa, Isiolo, Lamu, Mandera, Marsabit, Samburu, Tana River, Turkana, Wajir, and West Pokot coming together under the umbrella of FCDC.
The content of the radio series was meticulously crafted in collaboration with local partners, considering the sensitivity of topics related to peacebuilding, mediation, and conflict resolution. The series was designed to engage citizens in targeted counties, exploring the barriers and drivers of sustainable peace while soliciting citizen-led solutions for the FCDC region’s development. Structured as seven consecutive weekly radio shows, the format encouraged inclusive and diverse citizen-driven conversations. In total, a remarkable 12,783 individuals actively participated in the discussions, contributing a staggering 83,818 unique SMS messages in response to the weekly research questions.
Key findings
- Perceptions of peace: Need for unity and coexistence were emphasised by 37.9% of participants. 32.3% associate peace with the absence of violence and insecurity. 6.4% perceive peace as a state of serenity, while 4.2% link it to social justice and equality
- Sources of Conflict: Land disputes (21.5%) were identified as the most prevalent conflict source. Other sources include competition for limited resources (13.0%), political divisions, economic hardships, injustices (4.0%), cattle raiding, banditry (7.8%), election-related violence (10.0%), and cross-border conflicts (1.8%)
- Obstacles to lasting peace: Poor leadership (18.9%) characterised by political provocations, abuse of authority, support for criminal activities, shielding wrongdoers, and corruption were cited as the obstacles towards realising peace. Other hindrances include scarcity of resources (11.0%), tribalism, lack of unity, and terrorism-related activities
- Conflict resolution strategies: Community dialogue and mediation (25.5%) were highlighted as key ways of resolving issues. Emphasis on educating the community (12.9%) and economic opportunities (13.8%) for conflict resolution in the context of resource scarcity
- Interventions for Peace: Recognized interventions include mediation, intermarriages, collaboration with stakeholders, and community inclusivity (24.1%). Civic education (21.5%) is acknowledged as a successful endeavour for promoting peace
Key recommendations
- The project recommended integrating proactive community policing, targeted crime prevention, legal actions against offenders, and advocacy for heightened government security measures
- Empower the national government to enhance security services with essential resources, training, and equipment. Focus on streamlined processes, transparent conduct, accountability, and support for community policing initiatives to ensure prompt incident reporting
- Partners involved in peacebuilding should collaboratively address root causes by implementing comprehensive strategies. For instance developing transparent resource management plans to tackle land disputes, resource competition, and allocation
- There is a need to prioritise and promote cross-community civic education through interactive radio, digital platforms, and on-ground community outreaches. Actively involve government and political leaders at national and local levels in these educational initiatives consistently
- Combat religious extremism through direct community engagement by developing initiatives to promote understanding
- Actively involve the community in developing and implementing solutions, ensuring buy-in during the implementation phase
- Recognize economic development as a cornerstone of peace. Implement comprehensive measures aimed at reducing the cost of living, addressing poverty through the promotion of economic opportunities, job creation, and alternative livelihoods to alleviate resource competition. Provide essential humanitarian support for those displaced by conflicts
Photo by UN Habitat
