Abstract:
Over the years, the Uasin-Gishu County has been experiencing cyclic violent ethnic conflicts that mainly coincide with the General Elections. Consequently, various actors have been keen in formulating and implementing peace-building interventions with a focus of attaining sustainable peace in the long-term. Fundamentally, Church-Based Organizations (CBOs), such as the National Council of Churches (NCCK), are some of the main actors that have been active in promoting peace-building mechanisms in the County. The study therefore determined: to investigate the underlying causes of ethnic conflicts in Uasin-Gishu County; to determine the role NCCK plays in promoting the peaceful co-existence of the various ethnic communities inhabiting Uasin-Gishu County; to examine the strategies used for peace-building by the NCCK in Uasin-Gishu County and to evaluate the level of success of peace-building initiatives employed by NCCK in Uasin-Gishu County. The researcher adopted a conceptual framework and employed a descriptive survey design approach. A total of 150 respondents were targeted and 109 respondents were sampled for the study. The researcher used purposive sampling and data collection instruments consist of Interview schedules and questionnaires. Validity and reliability of instruments were tested using pilot study. Quantitative data was analysed by use of S.P.S.S and presented in form of tables and graphs, while qualitative data was analysed thematically and presented in form of narrative. The findings indicate that reconciliation approach was the primary peace-building intervention that the NCCK uses to achieve sustainable peace in the County. Further it was established that the high-stake distribution issue of land was the significant cause of the intractable conflict in the region. The study recommended that the NCCK should encourage the ethnic communities to most use the traditional dispute resolution mechanisms in resolving their ethnic-based conflicts because the court process is often slow and adversarial, thereby likely to heighten animosity as opposed to mitigating the same.
