The Effect of Cultural Factors on Indigenous Community Land Rights on Conflict Transformation Among the Maasai Community in Laikipia County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to investigate the effect of specific cultural factors on indigenous land rights and their subsequent influence on conflict transformation among the Maasai. The purpose of this article is to examine the intersection of cultural factors, indigenous land rights, and conflict transformation in Laikipia County, Kenya, where the Maasai community faces protracted disputes arising from the clash between communal tenure systems and external pressures of privatisation and conservation. Adopting an exploratory qualitative research design, the study engaged 102 participants, including community elders, women, youth, and local stakeholders, through key informant interviews and focus group discussions to gather in-depth insights. Participants were selected using purposive and snowball sampling techniques based on their knowledge, experience, and involvement in indigenous land issues and conflict dynamics within the Maasai community. The findings reveal that the erosion of communal land tenure is a primary driver of conflict, exacerbated by a generational divide in which elders view land as sacred, inalienable heritage, while youth increasingly seek individual titles for economic empowerment. Furthermore, the data indicate that cultural practices such as pastoral mobility and traditional governance clash with modern legal frameworks, intensifying disputes when customary systems are marginalised, and elder authority is undermined. The study concludes that sustainable conflict transformation cannot rely solely on statutory or market-based solutions; instead, it requires innovative hybrid governance models that integrate indigenous values and communal stewardship with modern economic realities to address the root causes of land-based violence.