Mombasa: Communities in Wajir County have been urged to accelerate the registration of their land to protect their rights from land grabbing, irregular allocation, and exclusion from decisions affecting natural resources. Kenya Land Alliance (KLA) Chief Executive Officer Faith Allube highlighted the issue during a community engagement on land rights in Wajir.
According to Kenya News Agency, many pastoralist communities remain unaware that some of their land has already been gazetted, denying them an opportunity to participate in processes aimed at securing their tenure rights. Allube noted that six sub-counties in the region had been gazetted, but residents in three of these areas were unaware of the development.
Allube emphasized that Wajir, known for having one of the largest areas of community land in Kenya, is lagging in land registration due to historical marginalisation, limited resources, inadequate awareness, and the unique challenges associated with pastoralist lifestyles. She noted that the miscon
ception that pastoralists cannot register land due to their nomadic way of life has further delayed the securing of community land rights.
The KLA Chief Executive urged the county government to take a more active role in sensitising communities following gazettement, acknowledging the resource-intensive nature of registering community land. Communities are expected to mobilise themselves, develop bylaws, and facilitate land surveys, which can be challenging for resource-constrained pastoralist communities.
Allube also pointed out that unregistered community land remains vulnerable to exploitation and irregular allocation. Under the Constitution, community land is a recognised category, and the Community Land Act, 2016 provides a framework for communities to formalise and protect their interests. She explained that registered communities would be better equipped to negotiate with investors seeking to establish projects on community land.
Furthermore, Allube called for greater participation of women in commu
nity land governance, highlighting statutory requirements for women’s representation in community land management structures. She acknowledged that cultural practices often conflict with statutory provisions, particularly in pastoralist communities where women have limited influence over land decisions.
Fatuma Yusuf, a representative of the Wajir County Civil Society Consortium, echoed the need for women’s participation in land decision-making, stating that women are a significant part of the community and are directly affected by land ownership and use decisions. Fatuma linked women’s limited participation in land governance to issues involving matrimonial property, eviction from family land, and gender-based violence.
Additionally, Abdi Hussein Adan, a member of Wagalla Fresh Milk and Yoghurt Traders, highlighted the frequent land disputes in the region due to a lack of documentation proving ownership. He emphasized the challenges faced by residents in accessing land registration services, particularly in
settlements located far from municipal centres.
Allube urged communities in Wajir to take greater responsibility for protecting their land rights and warned against relying solely on politicians or non-governmental organisations. She encouraged residents to collaborate with civil society organisations, the media, and other resource persons to access information and strengthen their watchdog role in land governance.
