International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention 9(11): 7351-7363, 2022 DOI: 10.18535/ijsshi/v9i011.04 ISSN: 2349-2031 https://valleyinternational.net/index.php/theijsshi 7351 International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention, Vol. 9, Issue 11, November, 2022 Strategies Employed In Managing Inter-Ethnic Conflicts Occasioned By National Elections In Nakuru County Between 1992 And 2017 Geoffrey Makokha Odanga 1 , Crispinous Iteyo 2 and Kennedy Onkware 3 123 Masinde Muliro Universities of Science and Technology Department of Peace and Conflict Studies P.0 BOX 190-50100, KAKAMEGA Abstract: Wars and conflicts decide political boundaries, move populations around the world, define political debates, and generally affect just about everything in our societies. Violence is widespread and can be tapped for a variety of reasons, including but not exclusively, election victory. Since the inception of multiparty system in 1992, there has been high volatile political environment in regions that have multiple ethnic composition. The study sought to evaluate the strategies employed in the management of inter-ethnic conflicts occasioned by national elections in Nakuru County, Kenya between 1992 and 2017. The study was anchored on Democratic theory. The study adopted a descriptive research design. This study targeted the house hold heads of Kuresoi North and Molo sub-counties. The study population included government officials, security personnel, CSOs officials, opinion leaders, religious leaders and youth group representatives. A total sample of 427 was used. Data collection tools adopted were questionnaire, FGDs and interview guides. The study employed both probability and non-probability sampling techniques. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) and results presented in form of charts, graphs, and tables for quantitative data and in narrative reports and verbatim quotations for qualitative data, the study concluded that the state which is the lead agency in conflict management has shifted from macro-level focus to micro-level intervention through local government institutions. Key words: National Elections, ethnic Violence, Conflict Management, Politics, Ethnicity Introduction Violence is pervasive and may be used for a number of purposes, including but not limited to electoral triumph. Numerous national elections, particularly those in newly formed democracies, are plagued with considerable levels of violence during the campaign season, during the voting days, and in the aftermath of the results announcement. Bangladesh and Burundi are two countries providing such examples. Conflict has erupted in Afghanistan, India, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and Kenya during electioneering seasons (Birch et.al. 2020). With the establishment of the multiparty system in 1992, Kenya has had a very turbulent political climate in regions with diverse ethnic makeup. According to Gichuhi, (2020), Kenya's history of violence (1992- 2017), particularly along inter- ethnic lines, revealed a consistent pattern of causes and triggers, all of which are the result of unsolved concerns despite succeeding governments. Ethnic violence is a symptom of unsolved conflicts resulting from years of discriminatory policies (Laibuta, 2014). Over time, politicians' purposeful use of violence to achieve power, combined with their refusal to prosecute abusers, has resulted in a culture of impunity and a steady escalation of violence. According to Muema (2017), the country has seen inter-ethnic violence and tensions during electioneering seasons since the early 1990s. From 1991 to 2017, Nakuru County has had a history of escalating inter-ethnic strife. The politicisation of views of economic exploitation, exclusion, and uneven access to resources and opportunity is considered to be the root of long-standing conflicts. The Kalenjin, the Rift Valley's biggest ethnic group, believes that the migrations of other groups, most notably the Gikuyu, are a result of "historical