The Nature of Community Armed Groups in Northern Kenya: a framework of Territoriality and Ethnicity

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dc.contributor.authorClifford Collins Omondi Okwany
dc.contributor.authorEvelyne Atieno Owino
dc.contributor.authorZedekiah Opondo Sidha
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-06T09:24:51Z
dc.date.available2026-07-06T09:24:51Z
dc.date.issued2023
dc.description.abstractIn this article, we analyze the fluidity of territoriality—state control or influence of space, looking at how community-based armed groups (CBAGs) from the Pokot, Samburu, and Turkana ethnic communities take advantage of semi-territoriality—spaces with limited state security personnel. We analyze the conflict belt—areas in north and west of Samburu County bordering Baringo north and Turkana east, giving an understanding of how the change of norms and development impact the dynamics of conflict and violence in Samburu. The article benefits from our research experiences and networks from the community policing ICT4COP—EU Horizon 20201 and the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 228 project on Future Rural Africa.2 Our empirical evidence was gathered from 34 interviews with key informants, such as state representatives and civil society officials, and 11 focus group discussions with communities in Samburu and Turkana. The findings show that the fluidity of state-territoriality has an impact on human security, leading to community mistrust of the security forces. We recommend robust community-oriented policing (COP) as a devolved security strategy, strengthening a public-private partnership (PPP)—a hybrid of the private sectors and government in policing work and civil societies and communities in helping to monitor and evaluate the police. Additionally, mapping illegal arms and CBAGs through clan structures is a community-oriented strategy that helps strengthen territoriality and counter semi-territoriality.
dc.identifier.issn2709-2216
dc.identifier.urihttps://repository.ndu.ac.ke/handle/123456789/227
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherAfrica Amani Journal (AAJ)
dc.titleThe Nature of Community Armed Groups in Northern Kenya: a framework of Territoriality and Ethnicity
dc.typeArticle

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