| dc.description.abstract | Ethnic conflicts are a global menace, with the highest frequency in the newly established democratic African countries. They are marked with lack of peaceful co-existence between members of different ethnic groups. The recurrence of ethnic conflicts along Transmara West and Kenyenya border has been a common phenomenon whose causes and management has been understood in terms of developments during the pre-colonial, colonial periods and post-colonial, thus the need to underscore new developments around the conflict in terms of causes, effects and management strategies over the period. This study therefore sought to examine the historical transformation of inter-ethnic and boundary conflict between the Maasai of Trans-Mara West and the Abagusii of Kenyenya from 1850 to 2002.The specific objectives were; to investigate the pre-colonial patterns of interactions, discuss the nature of historical changes of cross border conflict from 1920 to 1963, examine conflict transformation post-independence 1963 to 2002 and investigate the impact of cross border conflicts from 1850 to 2002. The study employed Randall Collin’s Analytic Conflict Theory. Purposive sampling method was used to select two locations from each sub-county that have had more adverse experiences and effects of the cross-border conflict in the region than other locations, thus, Enosain and Sankoe were selected from Transmara West, while Majoge/Masasba and Boochi/Borabu were selected from Kenyenya Sub- County. The study also targeted County and Sub-County Commissioners, Members of County Assemblies, Head teachers, Victims, Chiefs and Sub-chiefs, Morans/Abamura, Clan elders, religious leaders and Peace committee members. Using non-probability sampling techniques, a sample size of 86 were interviewed. Both primary and secondary data were used in the study. Primary sources of data included oral data, archival information and observation. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions was done with selected respondents to collect oral information. Secondary data sources included books, published and unpublished articles, seminar papers and electronically stored information. Thematic and content analysis was used to derive findings. The findings of the study revealed that the irregular boundary is the major cause of inter-ethnic conflict between the Maasai and the Abagusi in Trans-Mara. This is exacerbated by stereotyping that is informed by ethnic perception. The main causes of these conflicts are also greatly attributed to politics, competition over scarce resources and cattle rustling. It has been recommended that the communities involved in the historical conflict should engage in productive socio-economic activities devoid of politicisation of their engagements. | en_US |