African Communalism as a Framework for Transforming Intercultural Conflict in Kenya: Focus on Nairobi County

Abstract

This paper examines African communalism as a possible framework for transforming intercultural conflict in Kenya, with particular attention to Nairobi County. Intercultural conflict in Kenya is widely understood as more than a matter of cultural difference alone. It is closely tied to historical injustice, political manipulation, social exclusion, unequal access to resources, and long-standing mistrust between communities. At the same time, African communalism, especially through Ubuntu, has been widely discussed as a moral tradition grounded in shared humanity, reciprocity, dignity, and collective responsibility. What remains less clear in existing scholarship is how this philosophical tradition can be applied in practice to contemporary urban conflict settings such as Nairobi. This paper addresses that gap by asking how African communalism can serve as a practical and context-sensitive framework for transforming intercultural conflict in Nairobi County. Using a qualitative, desk-based methodology based on conceptual analysis and secondary literature, the paper argues that African communalism offers an important relational and ethical foundation for conflict transformation through dialogue, reconciliation, collective responsibility, and socially grounded legitimacy. The paper finds that communal values can help rebuild trust and support coexistence, but that they are most effective when working alongside formal institutions rather than replacing them. It concludes that sustainable peace in Nairobi requires both institutional responses and community-based moral frameworks that take dignity, justice, and shared life seriously.