Political influence as a main Livelihood capital addressing climate change impacts of Yaaku Community of Laikipia County - Kenya

The objective of the study is to try to indicate that political capital is as important as other capitals if not the controller of other capitals. Data from social ecological survey was analysed after entry in to statistical package for social sciences to get the respondents' views of livelihood capitals. The majority of the respondents 58.5% in Yaaku community indicated that politicians addressed issues of climate change in the community, with only 18.3% and 30.8% of them said that climate change issues were addressed by professionals and administrators respectively. However similar respondent of opinion of 45.4%, 35.4% and 17.9% said it was politicians, professionals and administrators who address development issues respectively. The majority 70.4% of the respondents gave their opinion that politicians and other leaders do not understand climate related risks on livelihoods while a small minority 29.6% were on the opinion that the politicians and other leaders understood climate related risks on the livelihoods in pastoral communities. Politicians being the main decision makers on development issues in local set up in developing countries where Kenya is one of them, decisions on climate change and adaption need be discussed and understood by politicians. Therefore policy formulation is needed as from county and national level on how to mainstream politicians in issues of climate change and adaptations. Therefore the politicians were key in addressing the impacts of climate change although they had not known or understood that the impacts are of climate change but either campaign goodies or development agenda. Therefore to address climate change impacts and their adaptations strategies political angle need be applied which makes political influence capital a main livelihood capital in addressing issues of climate change. Kiambi Gilbert M'mboroki | Shem Wandiga | Silas OdongoOriaso"Political influence as a main Livelihood capital addressing climate change impacts of Yaaku Community of Laikipia County - Kenya" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-1 | Issue-6 , October 2017, URL: http://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd2461.pdf http://www.ijtsrd.com/other-scientific-research-area/other/2461/political-influence-as-a-main-livelihood-capital-addressing--climate-change-impacts--of-yaaku-community-of-laikipia-county---kenya/kiambi-gilbert-m'mboroki