Contextualizing the Politics of Ten-Household Cluster Initiatives (Nyumba Kumi) for Human Security in Kenya

Authors

Edmond M. Were, Kisii UniversityFollow
Paul A. Opondo, Moi UNiversityFollow

Keywords

State, Human Security, Communitarianism, Household Cluster, Community Policing, Neighborhood Watch

Content Language

EN

Abstract

National security has been a preserve of the State to the detriment of the welfare of the masses. Human security on the other hand incorporates the basic security elements that are globally recognized and touch on the daily lives of the masses. The Ten Household Cluster Initiatives that have been practiced in East Asia, Caribbean and parts of Western Europe and adapted in Eastern Africa are an avenue through which human security can be addressed though they are tightly controlled by the state and characterized by human rights flaws. Their rationalization is anchored in theories of individualism and communitarianism that locate the roles of individuals and groups in power relations. Kenya's Nyumba Kumi initiative should be redesigned and implemented with hindsight onto the global and continental initiatives. It is imperative to hybridize the initiative with elements from East Asia, Western Europe and Africa for it to make impact on human security. An ideological backup is also needed to entrench it in the population that has been convinced that the initiative is basically a socialist strategy to control the masses. Yet this strategy can be modernized to address not only security but also social, economic and enviornmnetal concerns in neighborhoods and communities.

Recommended Citation

Were, Edmond M. and Opondo, Paul A. (2021) "Contextualizing the Politics of Ten-Household Cluster Initiatives (Nyumba Kumi) for Human Security in Kenya," Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies: Vol. 4: Iss. 2, .
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5038/2325-484X.4.2.1113
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/jacaps/vol4/iss2/2