By Hon. Prof. Kariuki Muigua, OGW, PhD, C.Arb, FCIArb is a Professor of Environmental Law and Dispute Resolution at the University of Nairobi, Member of Permanent Court of Arbitration, Leading Environmental Law Scholar, Respected Sustainable Development Policy Advisor, Top Natural Resources Lawyer, Highly-Regarded Dispute Resolution Expert and Awardee of the Order of Grand Warrior (OGW) of Kenya by H.E. the President of Republic of Kenya. He is the Academic Champion of ADR 2024, the African ADR Practitioner of the Year 2022, the African Arbitrator of the Year 2022, ADR Practitioner of the Year in Kenya 2021, CIArb (Kenya) Lifetime Achievement Award 2021 and ADR Publisher of the Year 2021 and Author of the Kenya’s First ESG Book: Embracing Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) tenets for Sustainable Development” (Glenwood, Nairobi, July 2023) and Kenya’s First Two Climate Change Law Book: Combating Climate Change for Sustainability (Glenwood, Nairobi, October 2023), Achieving Climate Justice for Development (Glenwood, Nairobi, October 2023) and Promoting Rule of Law for Sustainable Development (Glenwood, Nairobi, January 2024)*
The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs) provides in its Preamble that ‘the State Parties were “determined to foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies which are free from fear and violence” as “there can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development”. Some scholars have argued that ‘comparative studies show that development and peacebuilding must be integrated (not just linked) at an early stage – for example by including the political context in development policy and practice in conflict-affected fragile states and by addressing the structural causes of conflict’.
Notably, development and more so, sustainable development, is a multifaceted concept that requires to achieve certain milestones in various sectors, such as social, political, environmental and economic spheres. It is for this reason that ‘the heads of state established five fields of critical importance, or the “five Ps” of the 2030 SDG Agenda, which are people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnerships. Reduction in poverty and concrete improvements in basic education, gender equality, and basic health, all underpinned by improved governance and environmental sustainability are seen as important in building sustainably peaceful and inclusive societies.
It has been argued that development and peacebuilding must be integrated (not just linked) at an early stage – for example by including the political context in development policy and practice in conflict-affected fragile states and by addressing the structural causes of conflict. In addition, it has been acknowledged that strengthening state institutions and enhancing their capacity to provide security and development based on principles of good governance are essential for sound conflict management. In the same way, an effective, credible, and accountable security sector can provide a safe and secure environment in which to entrench other programming initiatives, all embedded in a predictable legal environment supported by culturally appropriate rule of law programs.
In Africa, there have been frequent conflicts across the African continent, which are fueled by various factors, including but not limited to natural resources, fight for political control, poverty, negative ethnicity, religion, environmental causes, and external influence, among others. It is also worth noting that some of the frequent ethnic conflicts have been attributed to the former colonial masters where, colonial authorities drew up local and national territorial boundaries in Africa based on a rather simplistic understanding of the nature of ethnic communities, thus forcing into political entity people who lived apart, separating people who lived together undermining the natural process of state creation and nation building. This has arguably been a major source of conflict among communities in some African countries, such as Nigeria.
The African Union observes that ‘in 2013, during the 50th Anniversary of the OAU/AU, African Heads of State and Government made a Solemn Declaration committing to tackle head-on the scourge of violent conflict in Africa and pronounced their firm determination to achieve the noble goal of a conflict-free Africa, thereby making peace a reality for African people, ridding the continent of wars, violent conflicts, human rights violations, humanitarian crises as well as preventing genocide’. African Union’s Agenda 2063, Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future, seeks to achieve a peaceful and secure Africa. It is noteworthy that the continent will not make any tangible progress in peacebuilding unless individual states commit to work towards achieving sustainable peace in their territories.
Kenya’s Vision 2030 is grounded on three development pillars namely: economic, social and political pillars. The Social Pillar of the Vision 2030 seeks to invest in the people where it has been pointed out that ‘Kenya’s journey towards widespread prosperity also involves the building of a just and cohesive society that enjoys equitable social development in a clean and secure environment’. Notably, the Political pillar of Vision 2030 also envisions “a democratic political system that is issue based , people-centred, result-oriented and accountable to the public” and ‘a country with a democratic system reflecting the aspirations and expectations of its people, in which equality is entrenched, irrespective of one’s race, ethnicity, religion, gender or socio-economic status; a nation that not only respects but also harnesses the diversity of its people’s values, traditions and aspirations for the benefit of all.’
It is worth pointing out the above inspirations are greatly linked to peacebuilding efforts, as also envisaged under United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs). SDGs provide that “the new Agenda recognizes the need to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies that provide equal access to justice and that are based on respect for human rights (including the right to development), on effective rule of law and good governance at all levels and on transparent, effective and accountable institutions”. In line with the foregoing, SDG 16 is the substantive goal dedicated to peace and it provides that States should ‘promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels’.
While Kenya’s efforts towards realization of sustainable development Agenda as far as economic development and even some of the social aspirations are concerned are quite commendable, the same cannot be said about the social pillar, and particularly, peacebuilding efforts. For instance, it has been observed that ‘Kenya is a large multi-ethnic country, with over 40 different ethnic groups and many overlapping conflicts which range from high levels of sexual and gender-based violence and of intercommunal violence; low levels of persistent violence; cycles of election-related violence; and increasing numbers of terrorist attacks’. The high levels of violence in Kenya have been attributed to a range of factors including: ethnic intolerance; border conflicts; political party zoning; competition over land and other resources; proliferation of small arms; weak security; and poverty, underdevelopment, and marginalisation.
This is an extract from Kenya’s First ESG Law Book: Embracing Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) tenets for Sustainable Development” (Glenwood, Nairobi, July 2023) by Hon. Prof. Kariuki Muigua, OGW, PhD, Professor of Environmental Law and Dispute Resolution, Senior Advocate of Kenya, Chartered Arbitrator, Kenya’s ADR Practitioner of the Year 2021 (Nairobi Legal Awards), ADR Lifetime Achievement Award 2021 (CIArb Kenya), African Arbitrator of the Year 2022, Africa ADR Practitioner of the Year 2022, Member of National Environment Tribunal (NET) Emeritus (2017 to 2023) and Member of Permanent Court of Arbitration nominated by Republic of Kenya and Academic Champion of ADR 2024. Prof. Kariuki Muigua is a foremost Environmental Law and Natural Resources Lawyer and Scholar, Sustainable Development Advocate and Conflict Management Expert in Kenya. Prof. Kariuki Muigua teaches Environmental Law and Dispute resolution at the University of Nairobi School of Law, The Center for Advanced Studies in Environmental Law and Policy (CASELAP) and Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies. He has published numerous books and articles on Environmental Law, Environmental Justice Conflict Management, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Sustainable Development. Prof. Muigua is also a Chartered Arbitrator, an Accredited Mediator, the Managing Partner of Kariuki Muigua & Co. Advocates and Africa Trustee Emeritus of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators 2019-2022. Prof. Muigua is a 2023 recipient of President of the Republic of Kenya Order of Grand Warrior (OGW) Award for his service to the Nation as a Distinguished Expert, Academic and Scholar in Dispute Resolution and recognized among the top 5 leading lawyers and dispute resolution experts in Band 1 in Kenya by the Chambers Global Guide 2024 and was listed in the Inaugural THE LAWYER AFRICA Litigation Hall of Fame 2023 as one of the Top 50 Most Distinguished Litigation Lawyers in Kenya and the Top Arbitrator in Kenya in 2023.
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