Can Kenya's Land Reforms Protect Ordinary Citizens?

Kenya’s push to unlock the economic value of land is raising a critical question: can the country pursue redevelopment and economic growth without displacing communities that depend on the land for their homes and livelihoods?

The question took center stage at the 5th Regional Research Conference at the Kenya School of Government in Nairobi, bringing together policymakers, researchers, development partners, civil society and land-sector experts to discuss how stronger land governance can support sustainable economic development.

While the government points to progress in land reforms, including increased issuance of title deeds and the digitization of land records, citizens say delayed titles, poor demarcation, fake documents, corruption and unresolved disputes continue to expose communities to insecurity and displacement.

The National Land Commission (NLC) says development must, however, be guided by proper planning, secure land rights and fairness to communities.

NLC Chairperson Abdillahi Saggaf Alawy said the Commission recognizes land as a critical foundation for infrastructure, housing, industrialization and urban development, adding that effective land governance is necessary to unlock investment while protecting land rights.

The Commission says it has also facilitated land acquisition for more than 100 public projects, including roads, water, energy and security projects, while working to strengthen land tenure security and address land-related conflicts and historical injustices.

The NLC leadership says land-use planning must also remain central to redevelopment, with the Commission monitoring county spatial plans to promote orderly urban development and protect agricultural and environmentally sensitive areas.

But for land users, progress at policy level has yet to fully translate into security on the ground.

Davis Simiyu, a land user from Bungoma and resident of Nairobi, says thousands of Kenyans continue to wait for title deeds that could transform their land into an economic asset.

“When people get title deeds, they can use it to get refinancing as collateral, to get money to take their children to school or get money to do business,” Simiyu said.

He also raised concerns over corruption and fake title deeds, warning that fraudulent transactions erode public confidence in government institutions.

“We need the government to be very sensitive on this. Because when they do that, these people lose trust in the government of Kenya,” he said.

Simiyu further wants land cases and title processing to be concluded faster, saying some disputes remain unresolved for decades.

For farmers and pastoralists, the challenge is often about where one community’s livelihood ends and another’s begins.

Peter Muli, who comes from eastern Kenya, says delayed land demarcation has contributed to recurring conflicts between farmers and pastoralists, particularly when livestock move into farming areas in search of pasture and water.

“Why can't the government come in and demarcate the areas where the pastoralists as well as farmers should reach? this will end land conflicts that we have been witnessing,” he stated.

He says both communities depend on land for survival, making clear boundaries and better governance critical to preventing conflict.

The problem is not limited to rural communities.

Muli also criticized poor urban planning, pointing to informal settlements, environmental degradation and unregulated construction as signs of weak land-use planning.

The Vision 2030 Delivery Board Chairman, Dr Emmanuel Kombe Nzai, acknowledged that land governance still faces significant challenges, including inadequate county-level planning and insecurity over community land.

He noted that less than 60 per cent of counties have prepared and operationalized county-wide land-use plans, leaving parts of the country without adequate frameworks to guide development.

Nzai also warned that communities whose ancestral and communal lands remain unregistered are vulnerable to disputes, encroachment and loss of land and natural resources.

“Land is a basis for our socio-economic development. Therefore, the way we govern land has direct consequences for our economic prosperity, social cohesion and national development,” Nzai said.

The government says it has made progress in strengthening tenure security. Annual title-deed issuance increased from 412,562 in 2022 to 834,875, with the effort strengthening tenure security for more than two million landowners.

The Food and Agriculture Organization Land Governance Programme Manager, Husna Mbarak, says unresolved land conflicts have a direct impact on livelihoods and economic productivity.

“When there are conflicts on land, there's not going to be production. And there's not going to be good use of that land,” Mbarak said.

She says digitalization and geo-referencing of land records could help reduce double allocations and improve transparency in land administration.

The NLC says its research conference is intended to bridge the gap between research and policy, generating practical recommendations that can strengthen land-use planning, secure land rights and improve digital land governance.

But as Kenya accelerates redevelopment, infrastructure projects and urban renewal, the question of development without displacement remains unresolved.

For policymakers, the challenge is to unlock land’s economic potential. For ordinary citizens, it is about ensuring that economic transformation does not come at the cost of their homes, farms and livelihoods.

Ultimately, Kenya’s land reforms will be judged not only by how much land is developed or how many titles are issued, but by whether ordinary citizens can own, use and benefit from their land without fear of losing it.