TITLE:
Application of Joint Peace Committees in Management of Cattle Rustling among the Residents of Turkana and West Pokot Counties, Kenya
AUTHORS:
Koech Kipkorir, John Onyango Omboto
KEYWORDS:
Joint Peace Committees, Management of Cattle Rustling, Turkana and West Pokot Counties
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Applied Sociology,
Vol.15 No.7,
July
3,
2025
ABSTRACT: Cattle rustlings remain a major cause of insecurity and conflict among the pastoralists in Turkana and West Pokot counties. As a result of the fatalities and loss of properties, the Kenyan government has made concerted efforts to control the vice by forced disarmament of communities living in Turkana and West Pokot counties, increased deployment of police reservists, increased patrols by the government, awareness creation and sensitization of the residents. However, these efforts have not succeeded to control the problem within Turkana and West Pokot counties as they have been more reactive than proactive. Therefore, the study sought to assess the influence of joint peace committees in management of cattle rustling among the residents of Turkana and West Pokot counties, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey in design. The target population were individuals from Turkana and Pokot ethnic group living within Turkana and West Pokot border area who have been affected by cattle rustling. Systematic random sampling, snowballing and purposive sampling were used in selecting respondents. The findings indicated that the joint peace committee agreement variable had a statistically significant positive influence on the management of cattle rustling, evidenced by a regression coefficient of t-value of 8.863, and a p-value of 0.000. The study concluded that joint peace committees are a critical and effective mechanism in the management of cattle rustling in Turkana and West Pokot counties. The components of inclusivity and trust, structured dialogue platforms, and training and capacity building were found to significantly influence outcomes. The study recommended that the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, in collaboration with county governments, should institutionalize joint peace committees by embedding them in local governance structures. These committees have proven effective in fostering dialogue, trust-building, and conflict resolution.