THE ROLE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN PEACEBUILDING IN MOUNT ELGON REGION, KENYA BY CHEROTICH MUNG’OU A Thesis submitted to the Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research, in fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Studies of Kabarak University June, 2016 DECLARATION PAGE Declaration I hereby declare that this research thesis is my own original work and to the best of my knowledge has not been presented for the award of a degree in any university or college. Student’s Signature: Student’s Name: Cherotich Mung’ou Registration No: GDE/M/1265/09/11 Date: 30thJune, 2016 i RECOMMENDATION PAGE To the Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research: The thesis entitled “The Role of Information and Communication Technologies in Peacebuilding in Mt Elgon Region, Kenya” and written by Cherotich Mung’ou is presented to the Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research of Kabarak University. We have reviewed the thesis and recommend it be accepted in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Studies. 24th June, 2016 Dr. Tom Kwanya Senior Lecturer, The Technical University of Kenya 30th June, 2016 ____________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Joseph Osodo Lecturer, Maseno University ii Acknowledgement I am greatly indebted to various individuals for the great roles they played throughout my research undertaking. Most importantly, I thank God for the far He has brought me. My first gratitude goes to my supervisors Dr Tom Kwanya and Dr Joseph Osodo for their tireless effort in reviewing my work. I appreciate your intellectual advice and patience. Your suggestions, comments and encouragement enabled me to work confidently and successfully. I also acknowledge Professor Peter Kibas who encouraged me to pursue PhD studies. Special appreciation also goes to Dr Musa Olaka, the African Studies Librarian at Kansas University for the academic articles on peace and conflict studies which he supplied to me. Dr Olaka not only voluntarily read my proposal, but he also provided relevant comments, advice and suggestions. Special appreciation also goes to Dr Emmanuel Satia and Ms Prisca Simotwo of Moi University for their encouragement, support, advice and guidance that gave me the confidence to complete my research. I wish to sincerely thank my research assistants Mr Martin Sangula and Mr Geoffrey Taboi who assisted me in the administration of questionnaires, photography and for accompanying me in the rugged terrain of Mt Elgon. Special appreciation also goes Mr Eliud Kilong, the Peace Monitor, Bungoma County; Mrs Susan Moss; Mr Pius Kauka; Mr John Silakwa; and Mr Reuben Butaki for liaising with my key informants. Also acknowledged are Mr. Peter Chem, Mr John Cheptai and Mr Geoffrey Ndiwa for liaising with members of the focus group discussions (FGDs) and providing venues for the meetings. Special gratitude also goes to the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) for granting me a PhD scholarship. I also wish to remember my postgraduate colleagues at Kabarak University for the support and encouragement they gave me throughout the research study. I wish to thank my family members for the support and encouragement I have received. Greatly remembered are my deceased parents for giving us a firm spiritual and academic foundation. Last but not least, I acknowledge my nephews Kiprop and Kibon; my brothers Titus, Albert and Geoffrey; my sisters Eunice and Catherine and my deceased sisters Celestine and Leah. Without your encouragement and support, all these would not have been possible. iii Dedication This thesis is dedicated to all peace makers and all those who cherish peace. iv Copyright Page The Role of Information and Communication Technologies in peacebuilding in Mt Elgon Region, Kenya Copyright © 2016 Cherotich Mung’ou v Abstract There are efforts all over the world aimed at rebuilding societies torn apart by conflicts. Consequently, state and non-state actors play an active role in the peacebuilding efforts. Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) are emerging as new approaches to these peacebuilding efforts since they encourage participatory approach to peacebuilding. This study was designed to assess the role of ICTs in peacebuilding in Mt. Elgon region, following the aftermath of the 2006-2008 intra-ethnic conflict between the Soy and Ndorobo clans of the Sabaot community. The main objective of the study was to investigate the role of ICTs in peacebuilding in Mt. Elgon region. The specific objectives of the study were to: Identify the actors involved in peacebuilding in Mt Elgon region, Determine the ICT tools used in the peacebuilding process in Mt Elgon region; Examine the application of ICTs in the peacebuilding process in Mt Elgon region; Assess the effectiveness of various ICT tools in the peacebuilding process in Mt Elgon region; Investigate the challenges of incorporating ICTs in the peacebuilding process in Mt Elgon. The study was guided by the conflict transformation theory which posits that conflicts can be transformed into peaceful co-existence characterised by new structures and new relationships which can be facilitated by ICTs. The researcher adopted the phenomenological research paradigm. The target population was 20,000 respondents with 377 community members randomly selected for quantitative interviews. For qualitative data, 40 respondents were purposively selected to participate in key informant interviews. In addition, four focus group discussions comprising 12 members were conducted in the two divisions of Cheptais and Mt Elgon Sub-Counties to build consensus on peacebuilding and ICTs in the region. These included 2 representatives from the District Peace Committees (DPC), 2 members each from the Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), men, women and youth. Secondary data was obtained from peer reviewed journal articles, books, government records, daily and weekly newspapers and Internet sources. Obtrusive observation in the study area was also used to obtain information. The mixed methods data analysis and interpretation approaches were used for merging quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and the findings subjected to Pearson correlation coefficient test to determine the relationship between ICTs and peacebuilding. The qualitative data was coded and thematically analysed using the NVivo 2.0 computer software. The findings show that the ICTs used in peacebuilding included radio, Television, social media platforms, mobile phones and Websites. The findings indicate that ICTs contributed to the restoration of relationships between the Sabaot clans, psychosocial healing and economic recovery in the region. They also facilitated inter-community dialogue which paved way to negotiated democracy in the region. The findings also show that ICTs were instrumental in empowering the residents to generate information and give views regarding the peace approaches in the region. It is recommended that ICT centres should be established in the region in order to enhance the effectiveness of ICTs in peacebuilding. The study also recommends that all historical land injustices in the region should be addressed in order to avoid future land conflicts. The outcome of the study may be used to stimulate the state and non-state actors to intensify the use of ICTs in peacebuilding and conflict management. The findings may also benefit conflict managers, policy makers, security managers, academicians and all people in Mt Elgon region and beyond in the realisation of peace. The research findings may also help future researchers to identify priority areas and to carry out more research on ICTs and peacebuilding. Key words Information Communication Technologies, Peacebuilding, Mt Elgon region, Kenya vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION PAGE .................................................................................................................. i RECOMMENDATION PAGE ....................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgement .......................................................................................................................... iii Dedication……… .......................................................................................................................... iv Copyright Page…. ........................................................................................................................... v Abstract………… .......................................................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. vii List of Tables…… ........................................................................................................................ xiv List of Figures….. ......................................................................................................................... xv List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................... xvii CHAPTER ONE… .......................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................
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