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

This research paper examines the emergence of the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF) in Kenya's Mount Elgon region, analyzing how historical land injustices and systemic grievances led to the militianisation of resource conflicts.

• In 2006, members of the Sabaot community formed the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF) militia due to dissatisfaction with a land allocation process. Over the following 18 months, the SLDF killed approximately 600 people, tortured numerous individuals, and displaced roughly half of the population in the Mount Elgon district, necessitating a military deployment by the government.
• The root causes of the conflict in the Mount Elgon region include historical injustices stemming from the colonial disinheritance of Sabaot communal lands without compensation, as well as inequitable distribution and intensified competition for limited land.
• Beyond land disputes, several contributing factors configured the landscape of conflict, including the availability of small arms and light weapons, clan rivalry, ethno-nationalist politics, insecure land tenure, the local economy's structure and geography, local feelings of marginalisation, and the withdrawal of the state from the region.

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} }