Women and Peacebuilding in Kenya: The Case of Wajir Peace and Development Agency (2002-2018)

The study sought to contribute to the understanding of the factors that have led to the success of women participation in peacebuilding, with specific reference to women in Northern Kenya. The researcher selected the case of the Wajir Peace and Development Agency with the aim of understanding the approaches employed by Wajir Peace and Development Agency in peace building, contributions of Wajir Peace and Development Agency in Wajir county peacebuilding and Kenya and the challenges to women participation in peacebuilding process using Wajir Peace and Development Agency as a case study. The target population of the study was the member organisations of the Wajir Peace and Development Agency based in Wajir County. The study used questionnaires as the main tool to gather primary data. Data was collected through key informant interviews so as to confirm the findings of the study. The study used both probability and non-probability methods to sample thirty-five respondents to the questionnaires. A pilot study was undertaken utilizing an arbitrary sample of 10 members from Wajir County to guarantee consistency of the poll. The findings indicate that WPDA was largely successful in most of its endeavours to bring peace. However, women still face obstacles as a result of the political system. Initially, the violence experienced in elections prevented women from vying for elective positions. In Wajir negotiated democracy has been adopted to counter violence in the political process. However, the elders involved in the negotiation deliberately leave out women due to cultural beliefs. The discussion shows that despite the gains made through WPDA, a lot of potential in peacebuilding is unrealized due to exclusion of women in leadership. There is need to support women initiatives towards peace by making them part of the mainstream political system.