Assessment of the Strategies Employed by Informal Peace Committees in Peacebuilding in Garissa Township Sub-county, Garissa County, Kenya

Informal peace committees contribute to local conflict management in northern Kenya, but less is known about how community members assess particular strategies and how customary practices interact with formal justice. This study examined informal peacebuilding strategies in Garissa Township Sub-County, Kenya, using a convergent mixed-methods approach. The study plan included 296 questionnaire participants from the business community, women and youth groups, of whom 277 responded (93.6%), alongside 88 participants in interviews and focus-group discussions drawn from political leaders, religious leaders and peace committee members. Ten five-point agreement items were summarised using available-case means and standard deviations; qualitative material was analysed thematically and integrated with survey findings. The three elder-mediation statements each had a mean of 4.47 (SD = 0.690–0.735), whereas the statement on government activities preventing conflict had a mean of 3.78 (SD = 1.134). Respondents also expressed high agreement (M = 4.25) with the negatively phrased statement that government peace activities do not persist after conflicts end. Interviews and discussions described four recurring practices: Maslaha compensation, informal case referral between customary and statutory institutions, agreements concerning shared water and livestock markets, and women’s Abaay-Abaay networks. Participants also reported concerns about women’s exclusion from final settlement deliberations and the handling of sexual offences in customary processes. The findings document respondents’ perceptions and reported practices rather than independently verified effects on conflict outcomes. The study supports further examination of rights-consistent referral arrangements, inclusive participation and the implementation of community peace agreements.