The root causes of these conflicts are principally competition for shrinking pasture and water resources. They revolve around livestock and involve the use of arms, which makes the conflicts more violent than in the past and result in indiscriminate killing. Over the years, pastoralist conflicts have become more frequent and unpredictable, exhibiting a marked escalation in violence and geographic distribution. Whilst there are other localized socio-political upheavals within the country that relate to and influence resource based conflicts, the harmful implications of resource based conflicts on food security in the region cannot be gainsaid. This development has made pastoralists areas in Kenya one of the most food insecure regions in the Greater Horn of Africa, thereby endangering pastoralist livelihoods. Adverse weather conditions in the past half century have not helped the situation. Neither has marginalization by post-independence governments.

Cross border conflicts in Kenya are concentrated along the international borders with Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda. This is especially so between the Turkana and Dodoth of Uganda, the Turkana and Toposa of Sudan, the Pokot and the Sabiny of Uganda as well as the Turkana against the Matheniko of Uganda. Other conflict corridors include the Turkana, the Dassenach (Ethiopia) and the Nyang’atom (Ethiopia/Sudan).

The Kenya National RBC Network is a relatively new member in the RBC initiative. Though CSOs from Kenya participated in the 5th and 6th RBC conferences, it wasn’t until 2006 that the Kenyan national network was formally established. This saw the election of Centre for Minority Rights Development (CEMIRIDE) as the National Focal Point.