THE UNIVERSITY OF LEIPZIG

Table of Contents
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................. VI
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................................................................VIII
1 INTRODUCTION, BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM STATEMENT ................................................. 1
1.1 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT OF INSTITUTIONALISM, BIODIVERSITY AND RESOURCE CONSERVATION ........ 3
1.3 A BRIEF OVERVIEW ABOUT KENYA........................................................................................................... 5
1.4 PROBLEM STATEMENT............................................................................................................................ 12
1.5 OBJECTIVES OF STUDY.......................................................................................................................... 13
1.6 DEFINITION OF CENTRAL CONCEPTS ...................................................................................................... 14
1.7 BIODIVERSITY: AN INSIGHT INTO THE CONTEMPORARY DEBATES AND NOTIONS................................. 16
1.8 METHODOLOGY....................................................................................................................................... 25
1.9 ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY............................................................................................................... 29
2 THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS.................................................................................................... 31
2.1 INSTITUTIONS AND INSTITUTIONALISM .................................................................................................... 31
2.2 INSTITUTIONS DEFINED........................................................................................................................... 31
2.3 UNPACKING INSTITUTIONALISM .............................................................................................................. 35
3 PERCEIVING BIODIVERSITY AND NATURAL RESOURCE REGIMES IN KENYA .................. 52
3.1 BIODIVERSITY AS NARURAL RESOURCE CAPITAL........................................................................... 52
3.2 AN ANALYSIS OF NATIONAL RESOURCES REGIMES IN KENYA.............................................................. 60
3.3 BIODIVERSITY GOVERNANCE: BETWEEN RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION ..................................... 61
3.4 RESOURCE ACTORS, AND LOCAL PERSPECTIVES ON BIODIVERSITY IN KENYA ..................................... 68
4 BIODIVERSITY, LOCAL DECENTRALISATION AND THE POLITICS OF NEO-
PATRIMONIALISM IN KENYA................................................................................................................... 73
4.1 BIODIVERSITY AND THE POLITICS OF NEO-PATRIMONIALISM IN KENYA................................................. 73
4.2 INSTITUTIONALISM, LOCAL DECENTRALISATION AND BIODIVERSITY RESOURCE USAGE IN KAKAMEGA .81
4.3 INSTITUTIONALISM AND BIOETHICS IN BIODIVERSITY RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ............................... 87
4.4 MAPPING AN INSTITUTIONALIST, SOCIAL COGNITIVE-DIMENSION FOR BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN
KENYA ..................................................................................................................................................... 92
5 NATIONAL AND SUB-NATIONAL LEVEL MAPPING...................................................................... 98
5.1 INSTITUTIONAL MAPPING OF THE BIODIVERSITY SECTOR IN KENYA ..................................................... 98
5.2 BIODIVERSITY IN THE KENYAN CONSTITUTION..................................................................................... 100
5.3 THE OWNERSHIP AND USAGE OF BIODIVERSITY IN THE KENYAN CONTEXT....................................... 102
5.4 EVOLUTION OF LEGAL REGIMES AND LEGAL REFORMS RELATING TO BIODIVERSITY........................ 106
5.5 CURRENT LEGAL AND POLICY REGIMES IN CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY .................................. 110
5.6 FORMAL RULE DESIGN AND MEDIATION: BETWEEN THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL INTERESTS ............. 119
5.7 THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL INTERESTS IN BIODIVERSITY RESTORATION IN KENYA ...................... 121
5.8 BIODIVERSITY AND INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS IN KENYA: A SHIFT TOWARDS A DEMAND
RESPONSIVE APPROACH?............................................................................................................... 124
6 INSTITUTIONAL MAPPING AT THE LOCAL LEVEL..................................................................... 126
6.1 SAMPLE SIZE DETERMINATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF CLUSTERS .................................................... 126
6.2 LOCAL PERCEPTIONS OF BIODIVERSITY IN KAKAMEGA........................................................................ 130
6.3 GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE OF KAKAMEGA DISTRICT AND WESTERN KENYA ..................................... 136
6.4 BIODIVERSITY AND RESOURCE USAGE IN KAKAMEGA FOREST .......................................................... 138
6.5 THE PEOPLE OF KAKAMEGA ................................................................................................................. 140
6.6 LOCAL INSTITUTIONS AND FARMING SYSTEMS IN KAKAMEGA DISTRICT ............................................. 144
6.7 LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION: THE INTERFACE............................................ 150
7 HISTORICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL INSTITUTIONS IN KAKAMEGA DISTRICT.................... 155
7.1 INSTITUTIONALISM AND CUSTOMARY LAW ........................................................................................... 155
7.2 LOCAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND LOCAL PERCEPTION OF NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY LAWS........ 161
7.3 FOREST BIODIVERSITY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE IN KAKAMEGA ........................................................ 164
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