Livestock Raiding Among the Pastoral Turkana of Kenya:Redistribution, Predation and the Links to Famine

Abstract

Summaries The long‐persisting and erroneous conception of famine among the pastoral Turkana of Kenya as an essentially ‘drought‐driven’ event has given way to growing recognition today of the key role which livestock raiding plays in the breakdown of coping strategies. However, this article argues that the phenomenon of cattle raids per se is not the problem. Rather it is the fashion in which raiding has been transformed over the years, from a quasi‐cultural practice with important livelihood‐enhancing functions, into more predatory forms driven by an economic logic and modern forms of violence. This article seeks to understand predatory raiding and its effects in terms of the changing functions which raiding serves within pastoral society and, increasingly, outside it. The article uses a model of armed conflict and livelihood vulnerability to illustrate how violence and the threat of violence interact with drought to undermine the coping strategies of herders.

Effects of cattle rustling and household characteristics on migration decisions and herd size amongst pastoralists in Baringo District, Kenya

“…The route followed and the length of stay will depend on the intensity of the rustling. It is known that cattle rustling leads to loss of livestock, destruction of property, and injury and sometimes death of people, which are the main reasons that make herders migrate to safer places ( (Hendrickson et al 1996;Mkutu 2006)). In Kenya, cattle rustling has reached unprecedented proportions in the recent past.…”

“…Loss of human lives was rare, and when this occurred, compensation in the form of cattle was paid by the killers' families to the victims or their families in case of death. However, in recent years, due to proliferation of small arms and commercialization of cattle rustling, there is an emergence of large-scale violent cattle raiding between neighbouring pastoral communities in Kenya (Hendrickson et al 1996). Moreover, there is an emergence of commercialized cattle rustling where wealthy businessmen, politicians, traders or local people pursuing economic objectives finance raids among the pastoral communities.…”

Governing violence in the pastoralist space: Karrayu and state notions of cattle raiding in the Ethiopian Awash Valley

“…Almost identical interpretations are provided for the Pokot and Turkana (Hendrickson et al 1996(Hendrickson et al , 1998, the Datoga (Ndagala 1991) or the Karamoja (Ocan 1994) pastoralists of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Hendrickson et al (1996) make a distinction between more redistributive and more predatory livestock raiding.…”

“…Hendrickson et al (1996) make a distinction between more redistributive and more predatory livestock raiding. Redistributive raiding occurs among groups predominantly involved in subsistence animal husbandry and does not pose a threat to their livelihoods.…”

Effects of Interethnic Conflicts on Rural People’Livelihoods in Kenya - Case of Kenyenya and Rongo Sub-Counties in the Lake Victoria Basin

“…They advise that provision of water, education; sanitation and food security projects by governmental and non-governmental organizations play a crucial role in inter-ethnic conflict resolution among these communities. Drawing from their experience in Kerio Valley, SNV, NCCK and SARDEP [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] concurs with the implementation of development projects that improve livelihoods and reduce chances of inter-ethnic violence, further it adds implementing agencies to establish shared resources such as schools and dispensaries between communities as a starting point of inter-community peace-building .…”