This publication presents the findings of the consultative phase of the Mandera
Peacebuilding Programme, jointly implemented by the National Cohesion and
Integration Commission (NCIC) and Interpeace in Kenya’s Mandera County. The
overarching objective of the programme is to achieve sustainable, long term peace
in Mandera, through the collective identification of the challenges to peace and the
participatory development of consensus-based solutions to the challenges.
Mandera County is situated in North Eastern Kenya, along the country’s restive
tri-border with Ethiopia and Somalia. Although the population of Mandera
is almost homogenously ethnic Somali, conflict between the various Somali
clans has often led to internecine violence. The conflicts, traditionally fuelled by
competition over resources, have been exacerbated by new trigger factors such as
competition between clans for political influence, disputes over land, and constant
attacks by Al-Shabaab militants from Somalia. The devolution of governance has
further intensified competition for political positions. Devolution was a key plank
in the 2010 Constitution that ushered in Kenya’s Second Republic. The local
population in Mandera enthusiastically welcomed devolution as an opportunity to
alleviate the County’s historical marginalisation and underdevelopment. But while
devolution has brought national resources and services closer to the people, it has
also intensified competition for elective seats, perceived as a guarantee for access
to economic resources by the “winning” clans to the disadvantage of the “losing”
clans. This contestation over political posts has emerged as a critical point of
concern for the residents of Mandera ahead of local and national elections scheduled
for August 2017.
