"Guideline for the session on 'community- based strategies and approaches" Regional Review Conference on the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development Nairobi, Kenya | 26-27 November 2014

1. Regional conference in Nairobi:
guideline for the session on
'community- based strategies and
approaches
PRESENTED BY:
Suny a Or r e , Di r e c to r Te chni c a l Se r v i c e s , NDMA;
Abdi Uma r , P ro g r amme Of f i c e r e , UNDP Keny a
26TH NOVEMBER, 2014

2. Issues of Armed Violence in Kenya
Armed Violence prevalence in many parts of Kenya:
1. Communal and ethnic based violence in traditionally pastoralist
areas of northern Kenya, where nomadic livestock keepers
compete for resources like pasture and water;
2. Criminal violence in arid areas using small arms for robbery,
burglary, car jacking hostage taking;
Proliferation of small arms, with more than 500,000
illicit small arms in civilian hands;
Small arms carried openly in many parts of northern
Kenya
Many lives lost, injuries, massive displacement, poverty
as areas are abandoned due to fear

3. Key Drivers of small arms proliferations
Insecurity (Perceived and Real) leading to groups arming themselves:
 Trans-boundary – attacks on Kenyans by external communities who are armed – South Sudan, Somalia and Southern Ethiopia
 Intercommunity: many pastoralist clans and tribes fighting each other (Mandera, Wajir, Marsabit, Isiolo, Samburu, Tana River, Turkana,
West
Pokot, Baringo
Competing over Political seats, supremacy wars:
(Unhealthy competition over elected seats at Ward, Parliament, Senate levels, which usually divides communities
at ethnic lines)
Expansionism of clans and tribes:
Where better armed or more populous groups try to take over lands of others, sometimes caused by:
- boundary disputes
- resource conflicts over water and pasture
Droughts/ livestock movements in search of pasture and water:
- breakdown of agreement on shared grazing
- overstaying of groups fleeing drought, conflict in their home pastures;
Mineral exploration/extraction:
- Oil, gas, titanium, gold, and other resources;
- local communities get shares in exploratory and % of revenues

4. How to minimize small arms race
Address the drivers of conflicts
 Assure security to the affected communities
 Develop and implement deterrent strategies. However, such
strategies should be of trans-boundary in nature
 Provide civic education
 Provide economic empowerment; invest in alternative
livelihoods, human capital development
Involve key stakeholders in the peace and
disarmament programs
 In the male dominated societies provide gender segregated
focus group discussions

5. Challenges to Community based approaches:
Only community based systems will work in the pastoralist areas – as community
resource use is as clans and tribes;
Disarmament needs to be carried out over a large region and several countries
simultaneously, otherwise disarming one group makes the vulnerable other groups
– IGAD?
Difficult to have gender parity esp. in former NEP– but Now Peace Committees have
30% women members; and have youth representatives; in West Pokot woman is
Chair.
Breakdown of traditional systems makes use of customary law difficult in some
areas – leading to ‘shopping for the easiest justice system’
Youth rebellion refusal to listen to elders, and the desire to acquire guns;
The Realist of Conflict Economy in many areas – eg commercialized cattle rustling,
payment of what amounts to ‘protection money’;
Difficult to deal with criminal combatants, as communities conceal adverse
information that concerns one of their own
Difficult to get the required good will from the political leaders – as hard line ethnic
champions gain popularity;
Requires investment in building trust and confidence between security agencies and
communities, which is expensive and time consuming;

6. Who needs to be involved in peace building?
Stakeholder Role
Politicians and opinion leaders -Influence society and can either promote peace or
fuel conflicts through material support and
statements
- have legislative powers
Businessmen -Finance conflicts, arms and ammunitions
acquisition
- Supply of arms
Elders -Have great influence over the young people
-Provide blessings to young people before the raids
- have knowledge of the criminals and holders of
arms
Youth Are the perpetrators of the crimes and hence are the
ones holding most of the small arms
Women Most affected by conflicts. Have influence over men
(their children and spouses)
Security agencies Act as deterrents to small arms business
Civil society/FBOs Civic education

7. Armed Violence Reduction Project Kenya
Works in 9 Northern Kenya Counties which are Arid and Semi Arid –
through the NDMA:
Assists the community based Peace Committees, having District Peace
Committees, and County Peace Committees
 Dialogue, Arbitration, between warring groups;
 Use of Peace Memorandum and Declarations (Al Fatah Declarations (Wajir) that led to
peace between clans after more than 1,000 died, and army intervened but could not cool
tensions. This was further spread to several other counties through the Mudogashe
Declaration, where clans are charged camels for homicide, chiefs promoted for peace.
Peace Dividend Projects – across northern Kenya to help communities
building peace
 (water projects for herders, women groups given seed money for business)
 Peace Dividend Projects for Reformed Warriors (training in Entrepreneurship, seed money
for projects and skills training)
Works with KNFP across the country
 Encourages voluntary disarmament, and has organized destruction of collected illicit and
obsolete arms;
 Helps make policy on small arms – SALW Policy, NPR policy Framework.

8. Key lessons learned
The establishment of effective community peace structures
that link to the government structures provide an opportunity
conflict reduction and management;
Involving communities in peace monitoring and conflict early
warning has provide opportunities for pre-empting conflicts;
The peace dividends projects for reformed worriers provide
alternative livelihood for the young people. It is also a
motivating factor to abandon conflicts;
Investment in community projects such as water, markets and
schools among others provide an opportunity for
communities to live together peacefully
The capacity building of NPR (police reservist) and arms
marking minimize misuse of government arms.

9. Q&A