Publications
Practical Action East Africa produce a number of books and reports. You can also view past editions of the KIT, Peace Bulletin and Magadi newsletters.
Books and reports
Building Resistance to Drought in the Karamoja Cluster of Eastern Africa
The Karamoja cluster refers to an area of land that straddles the borders between south-western Ethiopia, north-western Kenya, southeastern Sudan and north-eastern Uganda. Beginning in 2006, and building on the experience and strengths of previous programmes, Practical Action initiated a series of projects aimed at promoting peace and improving drought preparedness among communities in this area.
Our CO2 and the Climate
With the world beginning to move towards a reduced carbon economy where everybody is expected to participate collectively for a better world, it is imperative for Practical Action to be in the forefront of the effort. This report looks at the global problem, and the steps that can be taken locally to reduce carbon footprints.
The Concept Peace Committee: a snapshot analysis of the Concept Peace Committee in relation to peacebuilding initiatives in Kenya
by Mohamud Adan and Ruto Pkalya
Peace committees use both traditional and modern conflict intervention mechanisms to prevent, manage or transform intra-ethnic or interethnic conflicts. They have been instrumental in peace-building efforts in Kenya's drylands, and are credited for reducing tension and improving the intercommunity relations. However, despite their successes, Peace Committees face a number of challenges, including the lack of a legal framework, lack of volunteers, funding, and ethnicity and political interference. This report examines these challenges, and makes a number of recommendations.
Conflict Management in Kenya: towards policy and strategy formulation
by Mohamud Adan and Ruto Pkalya. Edited by Elizabeth Muli (JSD)
Kenya has experienced both internal conflict, cross border conflict and experienced the effects of conflict occurring in neighboring states. As a result, a number of interventions exist to address conflict at community, national, regional and international levels. These measures range from district peace committees, traditional peace processes and participation in regional peace and security initiatives. More recently, the National Steering Committee on Peace Building and Conflict Management has not only developed a draft framework for a policy on conflict management but also formulated a draft national policy on peace building and conflict management.
Strategic coordination amongst key actors has been lacking in conflict management and peace building. Practical Action hope that that this policy analysis report and its recommendations with specific reference to an advocacy strategy is a step forward in realizing a national policy on conflict management in Kenya.
Closed to Progress: an assessment of the socio-economic impact of conflict on pastoral and semi-pastoral economies in Kenya and Uganda by Mohamud Adan and Ruto Pkalya
This assessment was commissioned by Practical Action Eastern Africa as part of a larger program envisaged at providing useful data and information on conflicts and their socio-economic impacts on pastoral and semi pastoral economies in Kenya and Karamoja region of Uganda. The study sought, among other things, to determine the impact of conflict on social service delivery, agricultural production, trade and investment as well as the nexus between conflict and HIV AIDS.
Among the key findings, the study found out that competition over access and control of scarce natural resources underlies most of the conflicts in arid and semi arid areas in Eastern Africa. Resource use conflicts are many in areas that have water and pasture as communities in the neighbourhood jostle over usage and ownership rights, making such areas violence hot spots.
Impact of HIV/AIDS among pastoral communities in Kenya: study findings and recommendations
In 2004 ITDG-EA was commissioned by Futures Group Europe (FGE) to undertake "an impact of HIV/AIDS on pastoralist communities and their livelihoods". The study findings were disseminated to stakeholders in November 2004.
Conflict in Northern Kenya: a focus on the internally displaced conflict victims
Violent conflicts involving pastoralists have become widespread and increasingly severe in the North Rift and North Eastern regions of Kenya. This study identifies and examines the factors contributing to such conflicts, and discusses issues and priorities for conflict prevention and peace building. On the basis of this examination, a number of conclusions and recommendations are proposed on ways in which the stakeholders could contribute to the concerted efforts of curbing violent conflicts involving pastoralists in Kenya. More ...
In 2003 Practical Action East Africa conducted a study on traditional conflict resolution mechanisms as practiced by the Pokot, Turkana, Samburu and Marakwet pastoralists and agro-pastoralists communities in Kenya. This study was funded by USAID/Kenya and East Africa Cross-Border Biodiversity Project (EACBBP). Read Abstract
Download Indigenous Democracy report 
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Previous newsletters
KIT newsletter
"Kit" was Practical Action East Africa's newsletter, published from 2002-2004, and featured reports on all aspects of Practical Action-EA's work. Five issues are archived online.
Peace Bulletin
Peace Bulletin was a quarterly publication that served as a reference and bolsters sharing of knowledge and experiences by individuals, CSOs and other bodies working for peace. Five issues are archived online.
Magadi News: a quarterly newsletter to share experiences among the Maasai Integrated Development Partnership Project's stakeholders
download Issue One as a PDF file (735Kb)
