The study focused on investigating the nature and causes of conflict existing between and among men and women living in informal settlement areas a case of Kiandutu Informal Settlement in Kiambu County, Kenya. There have been several international and national fora, campaigns and measures aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence. Conflicts still persist since they are inevitable in the society and thus a need to identify come up with possible measures to address them. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the nature and causes of conflicts between and among men and women living in informal settlement areas. The study made use of descriptive research design. Purposive sampling was used to select Kiandutu Informal Settlement. Simple random sampling was used to sample seventeen females and eighteen males living in Kiandutu Informal Settlement area as the respondents of the study. The chief, the sub-chief, village elders, Kiandutu Community Based Organization and religious leaders from Kiandutu Informal Settlement and Kianjau and Thika East OCPD were selected as the key informants of the study. The study utilized interview schedules to collect information from community members (selected male and female members) while open ended questionnaires were used to gather information from the key informants. The data collected was analyzed both quantitatively through the use of Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) and qualitatively through the use of themes derived from research objectives while frequencies, tables and graphs were used for data presentation. The study revealed that sexual violence, social, domestic and political conflicts were the five major categories of conflicts existing between and among men and women living in Kiandutu settlement area. Further, the study found that these categories of conflicts are caused by poverty, life frustrations, abuse of power, drug abuse and lack of respect for human rights among others.

Keywords: Nature, causes, men, women, conflicts, informal settlement area,