Does setting minimum, maximum land acreage make economic sense?

An aerial view of land tilted for farming in part of the Mau in Rift Valley in this picture of 13th Au,2009. [photo/ Jacob Otieno/STANDARD]

Truth be told, most Kenyans never read the new Constitution. With time, the real issues will emerge including unintended consequences. Whether you read it or not, the moments of truth are slowly emerging. The current issue emanating from the Constitution is setting maximum and minimum acreage for private land (yes private). A bill has been published to that effect and makes an interesting read.

It seeks to actualise Section 68 c (i) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010. It is not clear why we wanted to cap private land ownership. The thinking, according to the bill, is to reduce inequality, promote equitable distribution of land, regulate subdivision of land, and facilitate self-employment, sustainable utilisation of land and promote national security as well as economic stability. Is land the cause of all these problems?