Banditry Implications on Socio-Economic Development in Baringo South Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Banditry incidents affect people in various ways like displacement from homes, cause poor health, disrupt education, increase poverty, and create unfavourable business environment. At Baringo South Sub-County in Kenya, many lives have been lost and several injured in banditry incidents. National and County governments have invested in measures to enhance security and contain livestock theft, but challenges still exist. In this study, purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were used. The sample size was 364 residents. Mixed research methods of quantitative and qualitative were used in the study, with instruments for data collection being closed-ended question questionnaires and open-ended structured interview schedules. The study found that banditry negatively affects the average income levels of locals through its outstanding effects on aspects such as poverty, destruction of business activities, displacements from homes, creating an unfavorable climate for investors, unemployment, and professionals’ avoidance of banditry-prone areas due to insecurity. Further, the findings of this study demonstrated that banditry has notable implications on literacy levels through its serious impact on the closure of schools, instilling fear in learners and teachers besides being one of the causes of school dropouts.