Africa Inland Church (AIC) Arguments On Cattle Rustling Wars and Insecurity among The Pokot and Tugen of Kenya
- November 1, 2019
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: IJRISS, Religion & Society, Religion and Cultural Studies
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue X, October 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186
Daniel Rotich Kandagor, Charles C Moindi
Department of Religious Studies, Kisii University, Kenya
I. BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
In Clemens Greiner’s article on “Guns, land and voters: Cattle rustling and the politics of boundary(re)making in Northern Kenya”, it is evident that competition for natural resources in Baringo Plains (Anderson, 2002) is one of the main factors for the protracted conflicts between the Tugen and Pokot communities (Greiner, 2013). Consequently, Emma Elfversson in her conference paper underscores the role of religion in conflicts by saying, “The importance of religion and prayers in building support for, and sustaining, peace should not be underestimated… ( Elfversson, September,2014.p23).
The role of Religion, therefore, in resolving conflicts in society can be discussed both positively and negatively respectively. This is true because religion is often depicted as a trigger factor in many conflicts due to the fact that people relate to it as part of their identities (Kellas, 1998:33). Accordingly, in some parts of the world, people from different religions live in peace and coexist without any conflict. Therefore, the relationship between religion and conflict is a complex one, and scholars need to take into consideration many factors before one can argue that religion is the main cause of conflict and vice verse (Goldstein, 1994:159). Religion in this context is the glue that can bind and unify a nation or group of people or it can lead to the destruction of nations as well as lead to intra-state conflicts.
In areas where protracted ethnic conflicts thrive, churches in general and Africa Inland Church, in particular, have had to play a central role in peace building and reconciliation as part of Christian ministry and mission (Wells, 1997:14). This is in conformity with the teachings of Jesus Christ who advocated for peaceful co-existence among believers and the rest of the world (Mathew5:9; 18:15-17; Hebrews 12:14)
