HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAND QUESTION IN BUKUSU-SABAOT INTER-ETHNIC CONFLICT IN MOUNT ELGON AREA SINCE 1850

Ethnic conflicts have been witnessed world over; where, different communities fight each other over territorial boundaries, limited natural resources and political supremacy. This worrying trend disturbs livelihoods, access to social amenities and affects local and international economies. As a limited resource, with cultural and economic value, land has generated inter-ethnic conflicts across the world. In Kenya,communities like the Maasai and Kipsigis have recently fought over land and cattle. The Pokomo and Oromo have had a history of land conflict in the Tana River Delta. In the recent past, the Gabbra and Dassenetch communities of Marsabit County have fought over grazing land. It is against this backdrop that this study examined the historical developmentof the land question in Bukusu-Sabaot inter-ethnic conflict in Mt. Elgon area since 1850. Specific objectives of the studywere: to assess the relationsbetween the Bukusu-Sabaot during the pre-colonial period; to examine the Bukusu-Sabaot relations in the colonial period and; to analyse the land question in the post-independence Bukusu-Sabaot conflict. Thestudy was grounded on instrumentalists and constructivists theories of ethnic identity. Constructivist argues that ethnic identity is the latest invention in Africa created by colonialists and missionary agents. Instrumentalist on the other hand viewsethnicity as a tool by the elites as a means to achieve certain objectives. The study in addition found that socio-political and economic features of both the Bukusu and Sabaotlike burial rites, initiation, settled life, production forces age set systems and council of elders reinforced the land conflict in Mt. Elgon area. The study further found that ethnicity, gender dimensions, politics, elites and infiltration of firearms in Mt. Elgon havefuelled the Bukusu-Sabaot inter-ethnic land conflict in Mt. Elgon area. The study recommended that epicentres of conflict should be mapped out and intervention measures concentrated in such areas. The study recommendedthat cultural relativity should be emphasised, and perpetrators of the conflict should be at the centre of conflict mitigation. The study also recommendedthat gender related pressure regarding land ownership should be dropped because itaugmented the conflicts and the government should takedisarmament exercise seriously in Mt. Elgon area. The study further recommendedthat there is need to ease pressure on land by establishing alternative sources of livelihood. The study also concludedthat traditional methods of conflict resolution should be fused with religious conflict intervention methods and other modern mitigation methods to avert the conflict.