The Role of Multi-party Politics in Ethnic Conflicts in Africa: The Kenyan Experience since 1991

This paper analyzes the nexus between multi-party politics and violent ethnic conflicts that characterized the Kenyan political landscape in the 1990s. After providing a short historical background of the genesis and the development of the multiparty politics in Kenya, the paper discusses in detail the diverse experiences, reactions and impact of political pluralism on Kenyans and how this stimulated their political actions, including their propensity to conflict and violence. The paper demonstrates that the re-introduction of political pluralism in Kenya in 1991 was a major contributory factor to the ethnic conflict and violence in Kenya. Finally, the paper makes recommendations on how ethnic conflict in Kenya could be appropriately addressed.

     Peacemaking in the Indigenous Systems: The Case of Pastoral Communities in Eastern Africa

From time immemorial pastoral communities of Eastern Africa utilized their customs and values in conflict resolution and peacemaking. These communities used their traditional norms and values to sustain peace. Practices such as the use of symbols and rituals were very vital in the process of conflict resolution and reconciliation. This paper analyzes these indigenous mechanisms of conflict resolution as part of the traditional value of pastoral communities in maintaining peace, harmony and coexistence in the society. The paper concludes that the traditional values are resilient and are still valuable and recognized by the society as appropriate in conflict resolution.