To Access the Efficacy of Back-to-Back Physical Activities in Developing Cohesion among Different Communities Living Along the Border of Bomet and Narok Counties in Kenya

Abstract

More than 40 ethnic groups in Kenya are characterized by diverse religious and traditional backgrounds. Back-to-back physical activities are relied on as a mark of national unity and are thus critical in people's integration and co-existence. Thus, the activities are essential in developing cohesion among the varying communities that live along the Narok and Bomet County border in Kenya. The researcher used a quasi-experimental research design to engage teams from Narok and Bomet Counties in a soccer tournament for eight weeks and collected data using a questionnaire. The target population was different communities along the border of the two counties. The study employed Morgan and Krejcie's technique to determine a sample size of 148 participants from whom data was collected. Descriptive frequency and T-test analysis of the results was achieved using the SPSS software. The study found that as a social activity, back-to-back physical activity is positively correlated with positive change in an individual's perception of group integration and also influences the group integration and individual attraction to the group both as a task and social activity (p<0.01 <0.05). It was also established that back-to-back physical activity has a correlation value of r=0.36. Back-to-back physical activity is positively correlated to cohesion among ethnic communities that live along the Narok and Bomet county border in Kenya. Thus, the results of the study reveal that sporting activities can end the predominant war in Kenya along ethnic borders. Therefore, the study recommended that the community stakeholders in the two counties of Narok and Bomet organize periodic inter-ethnic back-to-back physical activities to enhance cohesion, build peace, and, consequently, end conflicts and wars.