| dc.description.abstract | EMURIA PAUL (2007-03-MA-DL-021)
Impact of Sedentarisation on Food Security among Pastoralists in Rengen Sub-County,
Kotido District
The Jie pastoralists in Rengen sub-county had for many decades been food self sufficient having
successfully responded to the increasing social, economic, political and climatic shocks through
economic diversification including agro-pastoralism, wage labour and increased market
orientation. However, over the past decade, renewed attempts by government and partners to jumpstart
and modernise the pastoral economy with emphasis on transforming the values and
behaviours of pastoralists have apparently destabilised the newfound socio-economic equilibrium.
Faced with more demands in their way of life than at any previous times, the Jie pastoralists have
struggled to cope yet with diminishing options. This study examined the impact of sedentarisation
on the capacity of the Jie pastoralists to meet their self-defined food needs unaided. It was both
qualitative and quantitative in nature employing semi-structured questionnaires, interviews, and
content analysis methods administered through individual interviews and focus groups
discussions. Observation and photography were also used. The findings reveal that recent
interventions in Rengen sub-county resulted into increased restrictions on grazing mobility within
and outside the sub-county, destabilised the socio-economic strata, contributed to unsustainable
exploitation of natural resources and disrupted the traditional social support networks as well as
the internal and external trade relations. The main conclusion of the study is that the gains from
renewed and rather disproportionate sedentarisation efforts by the state and partners have been
outstripped by the increased vulnerability of the Jie pastoralists to food insecurity due to foregone
traditional copping strategies. Major recommendations among others include: relaxation of
restrictions on pastoral mobility, enhancement of pastoral livelihood diversification, improved
internal security, improvement of key infrastructure and more importantly the development of
policy on pastoralism.
Keywords: Food security, Pastoralist, Sedentarisation, Kotido district | en_US |
