New Media and Mass Communication www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3267 (Paper) ISSN 2224-3275 (Online) Vol.51, 2016 30 Perspectivizing Vernacular Broadcast Media Intervention in Stemming Intra-Ethnic Conflict in Kenya: A Case of the Abakuria John Oluoch 1 Jerry Agalo 1 Peter Day 2 1.Department of Communication and Media Studies, Rongo University College, Kenya 2.University of Brighton, United Kingdom Abstract The media can be used as an instrument to build as well as to destroy order, harmony and social coexistence in the human society. This study has tried to establish the inherent nature of social conflict and crises in human society as well as the significant role of the media and communication in forming and shaping individual or group perception of events or issues, as well as enhancing human interaction. It also perspectivizes the nature of violence and turmoil to the wellbeing of humanity. Vital roles of the media and the various conflict management apparatus like arbitration, collaboration, mediation, negotiation and reconciliation among other measures put in place to avert or control the recurrent violent conflict among the Abakuria community have also been highlighted. Keywords: intra-ethnic conflict, conflict resolution, vernacular broadcast media, Abakuria Introduction It is worth noting that much has been written about conflict 1 , which occurs within the same ethnic group of people 2 , which provide a considerable challenge to regional and local security in Kenya. Intra-ethnic conflict is caused by the interaction of multiple factors which are localized. A sudden structural change, such as collapse of a political and/or economic system, or fight for scarce and ever diminishing resources create a context of instability and general uncertainty about the future, not only in Kenya but globally as well. In this context, ethnic emotions, based on the historical memories of grievances, are revived where institutions lose their capacity to regulate ethnic emotions and relations in a peaceful manner and political entrepreneurs manipulate ethnic groups’ emotions/fears of each other to achieve particular political or self -serving goals. Conflict in most parts of the world has invariably become part of people’s lives. In its wake, it has led to massive loss of human lives and usually leaves a trail of destruction to property. Despite the very many shades of conflict that have been experienced in Kenya, the Abakuria ethnic violence is unique as theirs is inter clan .Kungu et al. (2015) says that the Abakuria conflict has become perpetual yet the mechanisms used in managing it have been wanting or downright inadequate due to the fact that they keep recurring, often with disastrous consequences time and again. According to Kungu, the Abakuria have always had their well established and indigenous mechanism used in managing intra-ethnic or inter-clan conflicts , which is also buttressed by members of the provincial administration, local and international Non-governmental Organizations, Community Based Organizations, Faith Based Organizations, Community Policing members, members of the peace committees , civic leaders, Sub county Security Teams, warriors and community members or victims to previous conflicts. Conflict in any society is almost inevitable due to the fact that most of them arise out of need for and more desire to acquire and retain resources, yet resources will always be scarce and competition for them will always lead to unequal distribution and anger from those who feel that they have not got their rightful share of it. There are quite a few studies available of intra-ethnic conflicts in Kenya due to sometimes flimsy reasons (Omulo, 1992; Mulati, 2003; Pablo et al., 2004; Njuguna and Mangi, 2010; Njagi, 2014). However, more of these studies have been reported in the mass media than from basic analytical and empirical study units. The scale of these intra-ethnic conflicts is diverse among each ethnic group. Statement of the Problem Every ethnic community in Kenya often undergoes internal disagreements that may escalate to some level of active conflict. However, in some cases and among some of the ethnic groups, the conflict escalate beyond the just disagreement into full blown conflict. One of the communities where such has been reported is the Abakuria ethnic group. This problem of intra-ethnic differences has been determined to originate from clan factions and 1 This a terminology that include issues within the same ethnic community, or community speaking the same language but has: dialectal differences, clan differences, or resource use differences (Christem and Mackowitz, 2015) 2 This is actually intra-ethnic conflicts in general which are not new to human societies; they are as old as human society because they have been in existence in all spheres of human life since the beginning of history (Danny, Breveon and Morrison, 2013).