International Journal of Innovative Research and Development

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Role of Ethnic Grievances in the Instigation of Political Violence in Nairobi County: Case of Mathare and Kibra Informal Settlements


Affiliations
1 Masinde Muliro University, Kakamega, Kenya
 

This study emerged in response to knowledge gaps on the role of ethnicity in the recurrent political conflicts in Mathare and Kibra, the worst of which occurred during the post-election violence of 2007. In solving the research problem, a systematic and methodical investigation on the causes of the recurrent political violence in the study area was done using a mixed research design. This analytical exercise involved testing of hypothesis about the relationship between quality of life differences and ethnic grievances. And qualitative interviews were informative on factors of conflict formation, escalation, and de-escalation. In testing the instrumentalist theory of conflict, it was observed that statistically significant differences existed between ethnic groups in conflict—the in-group and out-group—about horizontal inequalities and ethnic grievances. The in-group had a higher standard of living than the out-group, and the out-group had higher levels of ethnic grievances than the in-group. Importantly, it was found that there was a statistically significant relationship between horizontal inequalities and ethnic grievances in the study area. Revealed in qualitative interviews was that the relationship between horizontal inequalities and ethnic grievances is significant because it reflects the fears of the in-group of being dominated by the out-group and the frustrations and resentment of the out-group at being dominated by the in-group. The findings have defined the causal mechanism that is basic to the instigation of political violence, ethnic grievances borne of horizontal inequalities between the in-group and out-group. Entities like the National Integration and Cohesion Commission have a better understanding of the conflict dynamics that are basic to political violence in the study area and to other informal settlements that have experienced or are susceptible to political violence.


Keywords

Horizontal Inequalities, Ethnic Grievances, In-Group, Out-Group, Political Violence.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • i. Blagojevich, B. (2009). “Causes of Ethnic Conflict: A Conceptual Framework. Journal of Global Change and Governance, Vol 3 (No 4), 1-25.

  • ii. Bratton, M., &Kimenyi, M. S. (2008). “Voting in Kenya: Putting ethnicity in Perspective”. Journal of Eastern African Studies, 2 (2), 272-289.

  • iii. Cederman, L. E., Wimmer, A., & Min, B. (2010). “Why do ethnic groups rebel? New data and analysis”. World Politics, 62 (01), 87-119.

  • iv. Dafe, F. (2009). No Business Like Slum Business? The Political Economy of the Continued Existence of Informal settlement: A Case Study of Nairobi. London School of Examination. Development Studies Institute.

  • v. Law Society of Kenya. (2002) Land Reform Program ‘A Mission to Kibera,’ Nairobi-: Law Society of Kenya.

  • vi. Miall, H. (2004). Conflict transformation: A multi-dimensional task. In Transforming Ethno political conflict (pp. 67-89).VS VerlagfürSozialwissenschaften.

  • vii. Muhula, R. (2009). Horizontal inequalities and ethno-regional politics in Kenya. Kenya Studies Review, 1(1), 85-105.

  • viii. Østby, G. (2008). “Polarization, horizontal inequalities and violent civil conflict”. Journal of Peace Research, 45(2), 143-162.

  • ix. Okombo, O. & Sana, O. (2010).The challenge of mending ethnic relations in the Nairobi informal settlement. Nairobi: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).

  • x. Robinson, A. L. (2009, March). National versus ethnic identity in Africa: State, group, and individual level correlates of national identification. In Comparative politics workshop, Stanford University. http://politicalscience.stanford. edu/cpworkshop_papers/Robinson_CPworkshop. pdf. Accessed (Vol. 2).

  • xi. Schermelleh-Engel, K., Moosbrugger, H., & Müller, H. (2003). Evaluating the fit of structural equation models: Tests of significance and descriptive goodness-of-fit measures. Methods of Psychological Research Online, 8 (2), 23-74.

  • xii. Stewart, F. (2008). Horizontal inequalities and conflict: an introduction and some hypotheses. Horizontal inequalities and conflict: Understanding group violence in multi-ethnic societies. Palgrave Macmillan.

  • xiii. Shilloh, W. K. G. (2006). Ethnic or Class Conflict? The Politics of Conflict in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya. Unpublished Masters in Political Science, Thesis University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg Department of Political Science.


Abstract Views: 423

PDF Views: 5




  • Role of Ethnic Grievances in the Instigation of Political Violence in Nairobi County: Case of Mathare and Kibra Informal Settlements

Abstract Views: 423  |  PDF Views: 5

Authors

Justus Katoo Musya
Masinde Muliro University, Kakamega, Kenya

Abstract


This study emerged in response to knowledge gaps on the role of ethnicity in the recurrent political conflicts in Mathare and Kibra, the worst of which occurred during the post-election violence of 2007. In solving the research problem, a systematic and methodical investigation on the causes of the recurrent political violence in the study area was done using a mixed research design. This analytical exercise involved testing of hypothesis about the relationship between quality of life differences and ethnic grievances. And qualitative interviews were informative on factors of conflict formation, escalation, and de-escalation. In testing the instrumentalist theory of conflict, it was observed that statistically significant differences existed between ethnic groups in conflict—the in-group and out-group—about horizontal inequalities and ethnic grievances. The in-group had a higher standard of living than the out-group, and the out-group had higher levels of ethnic grievances than the in-group. Importantly, it was found that there was a statistically significant relationship between horizontal inequalities and ethnic grievances in the study area. Revealed in qualitative interviews was that the relationship between horizontal inequalities and ethnic grievances is significant because it reflects the fears of the in-group of being dominated by the out-group and the frustrations and resentment of the out-group at being dominated by the in-group. The findings have defined the causal mechanism that is basic to the instigation of political violence, ethnic grievances borne of horizontal inequalities between the in-group and out-group. Entities like the National Integration and Cohesion Commission have a better understanding of the conflict dynamics that are basic to political violence in the study area and to other informal settlements that have experienced or are susceptible to political violence.


Keywords


Horizontal Inequalities, Ethnic Grievances, In-Group, Out-Group, Political Violence.

References