English
On the southern slopes of Mount Elgon, at the border between Kenya and Uganda, a militia has, since 2006, taken up arms against the Kenyan state. The focal point of the conflict is land and politics. By November 2007, the force had managed to control part of Mount Elgon district. Its alleged leader was elected Member of Parliament in December 2007 on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket. In an effort to shed light on the current political crisis in Kenya, this article focuses on the local arena. It deals with issues related to governance and state legitimacy, as well as ethnic politics.