Militianisation of Resource Conflicts: the Case of Land-Based Conflict in the Mount Elgon Region of Western Kenya

The document examines the emergence of the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF) in 2006, which resulted in approximately 600 deaths and the displacement of half the Mount Elgon district's population. It argues that while military intervention routed the militia, lasting peace requires addressing root causes including colonial disinheritance of Sabaot communal lands, inequitable land distribution, and the availability of small arms.

• In 2006, members of the Sabaot community formed the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF) to fight for land rights after being dissatisfied with a land allocation process. This militia caused an estimated 600 deaths, tortured numerous individuals, and displaced roughly half of the population in the Mount Elgon district, leading to an unprecedented military deployment by the government.
• The root causes of the conflict in the Mount Elgon region include historical injustices regarding the colonial disinheritance of Sabaot communal lands without compensation, as well as intensified competition and inequitable distribution of limited land.
• Additional factors contributing to the conflict landscape include the availability of small arms and light weapons, clan rivalry, ethno-nationalist politics, insecure land tenure, the local economy's structure, local feelings of marginalisation, and the shrinkage of state presence in the area.

APA

Simiyu, R. R. (n.d.). Militianisation of Resource Conflicts: the Case of Land-Based Conflict in the Mount Elgon Region of Western Kenya. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/militianisation-of-resource-conflicts-the-case-of-land-based-conflict-in-the-mount-elgon-region-of-western-kenya

Chicago

Simiyu, Robert Romborah. Militianisation of Resource Conflicts: the Case of Land-Based Conflict in the Mount Elgon Region of Western Kenya. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/militianisation-of-resource-conflicts-the-case-of-land-based-conflict-in-the-mount-elgon-region-of-western-kenya.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Simiyu |first1=Robert Romborah |title=Militianisation of Resource Conflicts: the Case of Land-Based Conflict in the Mount Elgon Region of Western Kenya |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/militianisation-of-resource-conflicts-the-case-of-land-based-conflict-in-the-mount-elgon-region-of-western-kenya |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{simiyundmilitianisation, author = {Simiyu, Robert Romborah}, title = {{Militianisation of Resource Conflicts: the Case of Land-Based Conflict in the Mount Elgon Region of Western Kenya}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/militianisation-of-resource-conflicts-the-case-of-land-based-conflict-in-the-mount-elgon-region-of-western-kenya}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }