EFFECT OF INTER-CLAN COMPETITION OVER RESOURCE DYNAMICS ON SECURITY IN MANDERA COUNTY, KENYA

SHAABAN MOHAMUD SHEIKH; HEATHER KIPCHUMBA

doi:10.61426/rjssh.v7i1.532

SHAABAN MOHAMUD SHEIKH Postgraduate Student, Kenyatta University, Kenya
HEATHER KIPCHUMBA, PhD Lead Supervisor, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kenyatta University, Kenya

DOI: https://doi.org/10.61426/rjssh.v7i1.532

Keywords: Inter-clan Competition, Resource Scarcity, Mandera, Kenya

Abstract

Mandera County, Kenya, continues to experience persistent insecurity witnessed through recurrent violent clashes, displacement of persons and livelihoods destruction. Though there are multiple factors attributed to insecurity in the county, inter-clan conflicts have emerged as among the key drivers. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of inter-clan competition over resource dynamics on security in Mandera County, Kenya. The study was guided by environmental security theory and human security theory. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study population included 125,763 household heads, 119 chiefs, 174 sub-chiefs and 6 assistant county commissioners. The sample size for the household heads was 399. In addition, 7 chiefs, 10 sub-chiefs and one (1) assistant county commissioner were included as key informants. Data was collected using a questionnaire for household heads and an interview schedule for chiefs, sub-chiefs and assistant county commissioner. Data analysis utilized both quantitative and qualitative data analysis procedures. Quantitative data was entered into SPSS version 26.0 for analysis using descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics entailed use of frequencies, and percentages to evaluate patterns of inter-clan conflicts and insecurity in Mandera County. Inferential statistics utilized correlations and regressions. The findings revealed that there is a strong positive relationship between resource competition and security in Mandera County, Kenya (r = .806, p = .000). The study recommends that National and county governments should strengthen policies that promote equitable access to natural resources and inclusivity in political representation. Policies in the governance of resources and public appointment should be designed in a way that reduces clan-based exclusion. The findings of this study will be significant to different stakeholders such as government bodies, policy makers, security bodies, communities, non-government organizations, scholars, academicians and researchers.

Author Biographies

SHAABAN MOHAMUD SHEIKH, Postgraduate Student, Kenyatta University, Kenya

Postgraduate Student, Kenyatta University, Kenya

HEATHER KIPCHUMBA, PhD, Lead Supervisor, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kenyatta University, Kenya

Lead Supervisor, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kenyatta University, Kenya

References

Ayal, B. A. (2024). The Causes Of Inter Ethnic Conflict Between Afar and Somali Communities The Case of Amibara, Gewane and Mille Woredas, Zone three Afar Region. ETHIOINQUIRY Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(2).

Baah, E. (2025). The paradox of plenty: Understanding the link between natural resources and conflict in Africa (Master's thesis, Iowa State University).

Barrett, R. C. (2024). Yemen 2024: Interests, Ethics, and Ideology in a Fractured Tribal Society. Northern Plains Ethics Journal, 12(2), 1-34.

Chikandah, D. F. (2021). Natural Resource-Based Conflicts on Security in Tana River County, Kenya. Public Policy and Administration Research, 11(5)29-44

Elmakki, O. A. O. (2024). Power Struggles and Resource Control in Sudan: Analyzing The Dynamics of Local Communities, Regional Elites, And The State on Sudan's Natural Resource Governance. International Journal of Science and Research Archive (IJSRA), 13(2), 3415.

Hussein, M. (2022). Inter-Clan Conflicts In the Somali Region of Ethiopia: A Case Study Of the Conflicts between the Dagodia and Baydisle Clans (Doctoral dissertation).

Kabugi, P. (2025). Kenya’s Territorial Disputes and Security Implications: Case Studies from the Elemi Triangle to the Kenya-Somalia Maritime Conflict. National Security: A Journal of the National Defence University-Kenya, 3(2), 112-131.

Kadir, N. (2023). RIDO Dynamics: A Preliminary Study of the Factors of Intra and Inter-Ethnic Conflict in The Southern Philippines: Dinamika RIDO: SATU kajian awal terhadap faktor-faktor pertelingkahan intra dan inter-etnik di Selatan Filipina. Munsyi Jurnal Pengajian Sejarah , 1(1), 12-29

Kansuah, M. W. (2022). The Nature and Consequences of Intra-communal Land Disputes, an How They Could Be Mitigated: A Case Study in Beh Town, Bomi County, Western Liberia. Linnaeus University

Karienye, D., & Warfa, O. (2020). Dynamics of clan based conflicts in Wajir County, Kenya. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute (BIRCI-Journal): Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(2), 692-702.

Karitu, E. & Muiya, M. (2026). From Resource Scarcity to Political Triggers: Explaining Inter-Clan Conflict in Embu County, Kenya. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 10(4),1345-1355

Khan, M. F., Ali, S. & Khan, H. U. (2021). Ethnic conflict and the political instability in Afghanistan. Pakistan Journal of International Affairs, 4(2), 419-34.

Owori, B. S., Iteyo, C., & Simiyu, R. (2025). Socio-economic Effects of Inter-Ethnic Conflicts on Communities Living Around Kubasali Escarpment in Kakamega and Nandi counties, Kenya. African Journal of Empirical Research, 6(3), 458-475.

Shidane, J. (2020). The cross-border security challenges in the Horn of Africa Region. a case study of Kenya, Ethiopia Moyale Border (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi).

Yusuf, M. I., Mohamed, A. A., & Omar, A. A. (2025). Examining clan conflict dynamics and their role in driving displacement: insights from Somalia. medRxiv, 2025-10.