Ethnic conflicts in Kenya

Ethnic conflicts in Kenya occur frequently, although most are minor skirmishes. A significant increase in the severity of such conflicts between the various population groups inhabiting the country was witnessed after the introduction of multi-party politics in the early nineties, especially during the 2007–08 Kenyan crisis. Major conflicts have also led to exoduses of ethnic minority communities with roots in other geographical areas.

Several factors have been identified as the source of outbreaks of communal violence among populations living in close proximity to each other. These include:

The most significant conflict witnessed since Kenya's independence from Britain was the 2007–08 Kenyan crisis, a series of inter-ethnic clashes ignited by the 2007 disputed presidential elections.

By the beginning of 2008, an estimated one third of the 2,200 member Indian community in Kisumu, which controlled most of the city's trade, had begun repatriating back home in the wake of the ethnic clashes. According to community representative Yogesh Dawda, the resident Indians did not trust the Kenyan police's ability to ensure their security.

In 1992, 5000 people were killed and another 75,000 displaced in the Rift Valley Province, with the town of Molo being an epicenter of the violence. The conflict was primarily between the Kalenjin and Kikuyu communities with Land ownership cited as one of key reasons for the conflict.

In 2012, clashes over cattle between the ethnic groups in Samburu District resulted in the deaths of over 40 people including police officers sent to quell the violence.

The year 2005 witnessed an insurgency in the Mount Elgon District of the Western province of Kenya. This was led by the Sabaot Land Defence Force which drew its members from the Sabaot people, who are a sub-tribe of the Kalenjin.

...
Wikipedia