Contemporary Vernacular Broadcast Media Intervention In
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i CONTEMPORARY VERNACULAR BROADCAST MEDIA INTERVENTION IN COMMUNITIES PRONE TO INTRA-ETHNIC CONFLICT: A CASE OF THE ABAKURIA IN KENYA OLUOCH JOHN OSICHO 2018 ii CONTEMPORARY VERNACULAR BROADCAST MEDIA INTERVENTION IN COMMUNITIES PRONE TO INTRA-ETHNIC CONFLICT: A CASE OF THE ABAKURIA IN KENYA OLUOCH JOHN OSICHO A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Studies, Department of Communication, Journalism and Media Studies, Rongo University. 2018 i DECLARATION Declaration by the Candidate This thesis is my original work and has not been presented for a degree in this or any other University. No part of this thesis may be reproduced without the prior written permission of the author and/or Rongo University. ………………………………………… ……………………………... Oluoch John Osicho Date REG. NO. ICMS/PHD/003/12 Declaration by Supervisors This thesis has been submitted for examination with our approval as University Supervisors ………………………………………… ……………………………... Prof. Jerry Agalo Date Department of Communication, Journalism and Media Studies Rongo University ………………………………………… ……………………………... Dr. Peter Day Date School of Media University of Brighton, United Kingdom ii DEDICATION To my family, my children, friends, supervisors, classmates and the entire School of Information, Communication and Media Studies, Rongo University . Due to your support, this work has got into the annals of history as the first PhD in the School of Information, Communication and Media Studies at Rongo University. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This study would not have been possible without the contribution of several people. The role of my Supervisors Prof. Jerry Agalo and Dr. Peter Day in offering me resource materials cannot be overemphasized. Special thanks equally go to all the members of staff in the Department of Information, Communication and Media Studies, Rongo University, especially Dr. Henry Kinya for all the guidance and encouragement. The Centre for Media, Democracy and Peace at Rongo University for partial funding to present the thesis findings, including the Social Science Research Council, the African Peace-building Network, and the Centre for Peace Journalism, Park University. I thank Dr. Elijah Oyoo for very insightful editorial advice and support. To my friend-in-chief and loving wife Dr. Treazer Akinyi Oluoch for being there with and for me at all times, good and bad. iv ABSTRACT The rapid growth in the vernacular broadcast media sector in Kenya has been lauded as key in the social and economic transformation of the rural communities. However, how they can be used in conflict management still remains datable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contemporary vernacular media intervention in the Abakuria community which has been prone to internecine intra-ethnic conflicts for a long time. The study analysed sources of information from broadcast media and their role in conflict resolution; evaluated the existing media reportage of intra-ethnic conflict; identified shortfalls in the usage of existing broadcast media platforms for resolving ethnic conflict and assessed the suitability of vernacular broadcast media in resolution of intra-ethnic conflict among the Abakuria community. The study used libertarian and social responsibility theories to advance understanding of the media in enhancing conflict management. It used a mixture of survey and qualitative methods of research design. Data was obtained from 162 victims of previous conflict and 162 local community members as well as 12 media practitioners and 12 key informants from the four divisions of Mabera, Ntimaru, Kegonga and Kehancha. Analysis of previous media reports was also done. Data were collected through observation, interviews, questionnaires, focus group discussions, and Participatory Vulnerability Analysis (PVA). The data were coded and entered in the computer for analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study established several findings. The main sources of information among the respondents were radio with 80% listenership, television (TV) with 40% viewership and newspapers at 20-25% readership. The most frequently used media for obtaining information was radio, followed by TV while newspaper was low and internet least preferred. Radio Citizen, Citizen TV and NTV were the most preferred channels from where information on intra-ethnic conflict is obtained. There were also up to 20% of the respondents who sought information from the Ekegusi language radio channel known as Egesa FM and another 3-5% of the respondents obtained information from one or the other of several Luo language FM stations. The national and vernacular broadcast media provided very little information about conflict resolution for the community. This study therefore recommends that a vernacular broadcast media channel distinctly dedicated to the Kuria language be established. It also recommends that a mass media advisory committee on conflict management should be set up at the local, county and national levels to advise media practitioners and coordinate activities of the mass media to set standards of enhancing management of intra-ethnic conflict among the communities in Kenya. v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATIONS ............................................................................................................................................. I DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................................... II ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .............................................................................................................................. III ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................................... IV TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................................................. V LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................................... VIII LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................................... X LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................... XII LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................................... XIII OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF TERMS ......................................................................................... XIV CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1. OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY..................................................................................................................... 3 1.2.1 Background of ethnic conflict in the global and regional context ...................................................... 3 1.2.2 Intra-Ethnic conflicts in Kenya .......................................................................................................... 6 1.2.3 Resolution of intra-ethnic conflict in Kenya (the Abakuria community) .......................................... 10 1.2.4 The mass media and conflict resolution in Kenya ............................................................................ 12 1.2.5 Vernacular mass media intervention in intra-ethnic conflicts .......................................................... 17 1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM .................................................................................................................. 25 1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ...................................................................................................................... 26 1.4.1 Main objective of the study ............................................................................................................... 26 1.4.2 Specific objectives of the study ......................................................................................................... 26 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS .............................................................................................................................. 27 1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY ............................................................................................................................... 27 1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY ...................................................................................................................... 27 1.8 SIGNIFICANCE AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY ................................................................................... 28 1.9 ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS ................................................................................................................. 31 CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................................................. 32 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW .........................................................................................................................