The role of informal peacebuilding initiatives in reducing violent incidents in the Turkana–Dassanech borderlands, along the Kenya–Ethiopia frontier

Abstract

The Turkana–Dassanech border region along the Kenya–Ethiopia frontier faces persistent inter-communal conflict driven by livestock raiding, resource scarcity, climate change, and systemic insecurity. Grounded in Security Governance Theory and Sociological Institutionalism, this cross-sectional, mixed-methods study evaluated the effectiveness of informal peacebuilding mechanisms in mitigating this violence. The target population encompassed community members, members of community peace committees, traditional elders members, local administrators and security personnel, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in peacebuilding activities in the Turkana-Dassanech corridor. Qualitative insights were gathered via purposive sampling of 15 key informants and three focus group discussions, while the quantitative sample size was established using the Cochran formula, yielding 384 survey respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis. The results show that community dialogue forums, traditional mediation, transboundary advocacy, and NGO-led programs were the most prevalent types of informal peacebuilding processes, with traditional elders being at the heart of reconciliation. The survey revealed a significant positive correlation between the two, and multiple regression demonstrated that informal peacebuilding significantly predicted a reduction in violence (R² = 0.660). However, climate-driven competition over resources and insecurity still pose an enduring risk to long-term peace, and important efforts must be made on the part of the state for stronger partnerships with communities. Future researchers must account for critical operational limitations, including regional volatility, environmental disruptions, and complex linguistic barriers requiring specialized local translation.