School of Arts and Social Sciences

ANTHROPOGENIC PRACTICES INFLUENCING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF HOUSEHOLD LIVELIHOODS SURROUNDING MOUNT ELGON FOREST RESERVE, BUNGOMA COUNTY, KENYA

2026-03-09T08:02:50Z

ANTHROPOGENIC PRACTICES INFLUENCING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF HOUSEHOLD LIVELIHOODS SURROUNDING MOUNT ELGON FOREST RESERVE, BUNGOMA COUNTY, KENYA KAKAI, ROBERT SIMIYU Over the past three decades, the Mount Elgon Forest Reserve in Bungoma County, Kenya, has experienced considerable environmental degradation largely driven by anthropogenic practices associated with household livelihood strategies. Forest-adjacent communities depend heavily on forest resources for subsistence and income, resulting in deforestation, settlement expansion, and small-scale mining. While these activities provide immediate livelihood benefits, they undermine biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, and the long-term sustainability of household livelihoods. This study examined the influence of anthropogenic practices on the sustainability of household livelihoods in the Mount Elgon Forest Reserve area, Bungoma County, Kenya. The specific objectives were to assess the influence of deforestation, settlement, and mining activities on sustainable household livelihoods and to explore interventions for the sustainable utilization of forest resources. The study was anchored on the Sustainable Livelihood Framework by Chambers and Conway (1992) and Stakeholder Theory by Freeman (1984). A cross-sectional research design employing a mixed-methods approach was adopted. The target population comprised 12,842 household heads, four ward administrators, twelve chiefs, one Kenya Forest Service officer, and one National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) official. A sample of 373 household heads was selected using multistage and stratified random sampling, while key informants were purposively selected. Data were collected using questionnaires, interview guides, and focus group discussions. Instrument validity was established through expert review, while reliability was confirmed through piloting and computation of Cronbach’s alpha coefficients. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential techniques, including Pearson correlation and linear regression, while qualitative data were thematically analyzed. The findings revealed statistically significant positive relationships between deforestation activities (r = .682, p < .001), settlement activities (r = .614, p < .001), mining activities (r = .762, p < .001), and sustainable forest utilization interventions (r = .792, p < .001) with household livelihood sustainability. Collectively, these variables accounted for 75.5% of the variation in sustainable household livelihoods among forest-edge communities. The study concludes that anthropogenic practices play a dual role in sustaining household livelihoods while simultaneously threatening the ecological integrity of the Mount Elgon Forest Reserve. Without deliberate and coordinated interventions, continued reliance on unsustainable forest- based practices is likely to exacerbate environmental degradation and compromise future livelihood security. The study recommends the strengthening of participatory forest management frameworks, promotion of alternative and climate-resilient livelihood options, enforcement of land-use regulations, and enhancement of community-based environmental education programs. Institutional collaboration among Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, NEMA, county governments, and local communities is critical for achieving sustainable forest resource management. Further research is recommended to examine the long-term impacts of climate change on forest-dependent livelihoods, evaluate the effectiveness of alternative livelihood interventions over time, and explore gender and youth dimensions in forest resource utilization and livelihood sustainability within the Mount Elgon ecosystem.

Contribution of Faith-Based Mediation Strategies to Conflict Transformation along the Bomet-Nyamira Counties Border, Kenya

2025-11-16T06:50:55Z

Contribution of Faith-Based Mediation Strategies to Conflict Transformation along the Bomet-Nyamira Counties Border, Kenya Nyaoma, Orina Edwin Conflicts are a global phenomenon whose manifestation includes violence, deaths, and displacements. The Bomet-Nyamira counties border in Kenya has witnessed protracted ethnic, political, and cultural conflicts that have led to deaths, displacements, and loss of property. Whereas their transformation at interstate level has attracted international and state actors, the role of faith-based organizations tends to be peripheralized unless they emerge as complementary actors. Faith-based actors generally feature less in national and international efforts to transform inter and intrastate conflicts. Their contribution has, however, elicited less scholarly attention to the extent that policy interventions are less comprehensive and exclusive. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of faith-based mediation strategies to conflict transformation along the Bomet-Nyamira counties border zone. The objectives of this study included assessing the contribution of the faith-based communication-facilitation mediation strategy, analyzing the contribution of the faith-based directive-manipulation mediation strategy, and examining the contribution of the faith-based religious activities mediation strategy to conflict transformation along the Bomet-Nyamira counties border, Kenya. It focused on three strategies: communication-facilitation, directive-manipulation, and religious activities, which were integral to faith-based conflict transformation programs. This study was guided by the theory of transformative mediation. The target population of the study comprised 140 respondents. The target of sample population consisted of 87 household respondents for questionnaires, 29 respondents for in-depth interviews, included village elders, assistant chiefs, and chiefs, 18 respondents for key informant interviews, which included religious leaders, and 6 group discussions from the Kipsigis and Abagusii communities along the Bomet-Nyamira counties border, Kenya. A qualitative research design was employed, utilizing specific descriptive survey methods along the Bomet-Nyamira counties border zone, Kenya. The research was conducted at four sites in the Ekerubo and Raitigo locations of Nyamira County and the Gelegele location of Bomet County. Questionnaires were administered to the identified household respondents along the Gelegele, Ekerubo and Raitigo locations border. Structured questionnaires, key informant interviews, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions were utilized to gather information from the respondents. Thematic, content, and narrative analysis techniques guided data analysis. The findings indicated that in the assessment of communication-facilitation mediation strategy, dialogue, compromise, negotiation, and empowerment were key in transforming conflicts along the border. In analyzing the directive-manipulation mediation strategy, incentives, bargaining, pressure, and attitude played a crucial role in conflict transformation. And in the examination of the religious activities mediation strategy, media, teachings, meetings, and motivation were significant to conflict transformation along the border. From the conclusion it was observed that the three faith-based mediation strategies had a substantial positive impact on conflict transformation along the Bomet-Nyamira border. In their significant contribution they built mutual trust and promoted peaceful co-existence along the border. However, to enhance the effectiveness of these mediation strategies faith-based organizations should continue facilitating peaceful sessions along the border. Additional frameworks should be set on continuous training in peace. Through this transformative theory in the study, it had fostered an effective avenue for conflict transformation. Further this study will be of great scholarly contribution in research that will improve conflict transformation beyond the Bomet-Nyamira borders.

Influence of Bodaboda Riders’ Behaviour on their Socio-Economic Wellbeing in Lodwar Township in Turkana County, Kenya

2025-11-15T09:54:33Z

Influence of Bodaboda Riders’ Behaviour on their Socio-Economic Wellbeing in Lodwar Township in Turkana County, Kenya Okebiro, Gilbert Nyakundi In Lodwar township, Turkana County, motorcycles popularly known as boda bodas have become more than just a convenient way to move people and goods; they are a lifeline for many households, offering employment and income in an area with limited economic opportunities. Yet, the very riders who enable this livelihood often engage in risky traffic behaviors, contributing to accidents, injuries, and disruptions of daily life. This study set out to (1) examine how boda boda riders’ traffic behavior affects road safety, (2) explore how riders’ socio-demographic characteristics age, education, gender, and ownership type influence their behavior, (3) determine the impact of boda boda operations on household socio-economic wellbeing, and (4) identify measures to improve rider conduct and community welfare. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, the study adopted a descriptive research design, sampling 384 respondents from a population of 17,210 households, with additional insights from traffic police, hospital staff, and court officials. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 23, and qualitative data were thematically examined. The findings revealed that 68% of respondents reported frequent risky riding practices, 54% noted that these behaviors led to accidents affecting household income, and 62% observed negative impacts on daily socio-economic activities. Age, education, and motorcycle ownership type significantly influenced traffic behavior, while gender had no significant effect. While boda bodas provide essential livelihoods, unsafe practices erode household resources through medical costs, fines, and lost productivity. The study concludes that improving safety and wellbeing requires stronger legal frameworks, continuous rider training, and support for alternative income activities. Recommendations include road safety education programs, stricter regulatory enforcement, income diversification initiatives, and community awareness campaigns to foster safer roads and more resilient households.

An Analysis of Nandi Anthroponyms: An Onomastic Approach

2025-11-07T09:50:04Z

An Analysis of Nandi Anthroponyms: An Onomastic Approach Tarus, Rhoda Jepkorir Names are not only markers of individual identity but also reflect deep social, cultural, and environmental connections. Despite the centrality of naming in Nandi society, there has been limited scholarly attention to the morpho-semantic structures and contextual meanings embedded in Nandi anthroponyms, a gap this research sought to address. The primary purpose was to document and analyse the extrinsic and intrinsic linguistic features, lexical categories, morphological patterns, and semantic content of Nandi personal and kinship names. Specifically, the study aimed to: examine the extrinsic and intrinsic linguistic features inherent in Nandi anthroponyms; explore the divergent categories of lexical items that constitute these names; conduct a morphological analysis of their structural composition, and conduct a semantic analysis of their contextual meanings. Grounded in Symbolic Interactionism Theory, Functional Theory of Grammar, and Lexicon Contrast and Social Semiotics Theory, the study adopted an exploratory research design. The target population comprised all native Nandi dialect speakers from 30 administrative wards in Nandi County, with a purposive sample of 240 local elders (eight from each ward). Data were collected through focus group discussions with the 30 groups, each consisting of eight elders, and were analysed using morpho-semantic techniques to uncover the underlying meanings and structures of names. The findings revealed that extrinsic factors such as environmental events (locust invasions, famine), social occurrences (migration, enemy raids), and temporal markers (seasonal changes, harvest periods) significantly influence naming, while intrinsic factors include childbirth circumstances (labour duration, twin births), birth locations, and family dynamics (birth order, maternal health). Lexical analysis showed that Nandi names are primarily formed from nouns (54%), verbs (32%), and adjectives (14%), with distinct gender-marking prefixes, such as ‘Jep-’/‘Chep-’ for females and ‘Kip-’, ‘Tap-’, and ‘Arap-’ for males. Morphological analysis identified systematic use of affixation, with common suffixes, such as ‘-ur’, ‘-siek’, ‘-et’, and ‘-ik’, modifying root morphemes to convey nuanced meaning. Semantic analysis demonstrated that Nandi names encapsulate contextual information about birth circumstances, family roles, and significant communal events, serving as repositories of cultural knowledge. The major conclusion is that Nandi naming practices are linguistically complex and culturally rich, functioning as both identifiers and carriers of communal memory. A key implication is the urgent need to preserve these naming traditions in the face of modernization and language shift. The study therefore recommends the development of a comprehensive corpus of Nandi anthroponyms as a resource for cultural preservation and linguistic research. Ultimately, this research is significant in filling a critical gap in Kenyan onomastic studies and providing a model for documenting and valorising indigenous naming systems elsewhere.