The vast majority of disputes in Kenyan communities arise from lands, spousal and close family disputes, child custody, and support.
At 30 percent of disputes in Kenya, land makes up for the vast majority of disputes, followed by 23 percent involving partner and spouse, and 13 percent were child-related a Kenyan research project carried out by the Katiba Institute and the University of Nairobi.
The remaining dispute types are involving authorities, police action, physical assaults, and theft.
The three largest categories suggest their importance for family and community relations, but as highlighted by the report, more needs to be comprehended about why people take action on certain disputes and less so on others to understand the true landscape of disputes.
Shelmith Maranya, an advocate of the High Court of Kenya who also doubles as a Litigation and Debate Resolution Associate at HMS Advocates, said the findings are consistent with how emotive the land issue is in Kenya.