Abstract: Over the years Garissa County in Kenya has experienced increased religious and ethnic conflicts. Research conducted indicate that increased radicalization of the youth and attacks by Al-Shabaab in the county has compounded the conflict situation in Garissa. In Baringo County ethnic conflict has escalated radicalization of the youth resulting to increased conflicts. The Kenya National Police Service has a mandate to maintain law and order hence the focus on conflict management and radicalization in the two counties. The purpose of this study is to access the effectiveness of Kenya National Police Service strategies and mechanisms in managing conflict in Garissa and Baringo counties in the context of radicalization. The study adopts integrated research design composed of descriptive and correlational dispositions. The target population of the study was 697 Village Elders, 415 Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs, 55 County Muslim clergies, 100 Police Reservists, 48 County Police Commanders, 65 Christian clergies, 8 Ant-Terrorist Police Unit Operational Commanders and 6 National Crime Research Center field managers. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to sample the study respondents. Questionnaires, interviews and Focus Group Discussions were used to collect data. Qualitative data was analyzed based on study objectives. The study findings revealed that radicalization in both counties led to violent conflicts influencing the police to use violent approaches. Study findings also inform policy on National Police strategies unique to each county due to the uniqueness of the forms of radicalization. The study also inform policy on government’s provision of adequate personnel and equipment for conflict management in the two counties. Finally, the study adds knowledge on the influence of radicalization on crime management in the two counties.
Keywords: Mechanisms, Conflict, Counter Radicalization, Conflict Management, Reconciliation.
Title: CHALLENGES FACED BY KENYA NATIONAL POLICE SERVICE IN CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN GARISSA AND BARINGO COUNTIES, KENYA
Author: Julius Kanampiu Kibaara, Kennedy Onkware
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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