The National Land Commission (NLC) has begun nationwide public consultations on proposed regulations to guide investigations into historical land injustices and the review of grants and dispositions of public land.
The engagement focused on the Draft Historical Land Injustices Regulations, 2026, and the Review of Grants and Dispositions of Public Land Regulations, 2026, giving Kajiado County residents an opportunity to share their experiences, concerns, and proposals on how the rules can address land grievances.
NLC Vice-Chairperson Dr. Julie Oseko said the experiences of communities were critical to developing regulations that respond to the challenges they face, urging residents to participate actively and submit their views before the process is concluded.
She said the submissions would help the Commission develop a framework that responds to community concerns and provides an effective basis for addressing historical land grievances.
NLC Chief Executive Officer Kabale Tache Arero noted that under Article 67 of the Constitution, the NLC is mandated to investigate present or historical land injustices and recommend appropriate redress.
Arero said the Commission would consider the recommendations made during the consultations before finalizing the regulations.
Residents cited difficulties in obtaining title deeds, land surveys, ownership disputes, and disinheritance among the land-related problems affecting communities in the county.
They also raised concerns about the management of public land, spatial planning, and the protection of riparian areas and water catchment zones.
Samuel Lonkoi, chairman of the Alternative Justice System (AJS) in Kajiado, said land brokers had complicated land administration and made it difficult for residents to resolve some of their disputes.
He said residents continued to encounter challenges involving title deeds, surveys, and ownership, calling for the NLC to take a more central role in handling land matters.
“There are many challenges, especially here in Kajiado, because of matters of title deeds, issuance of title deeds, matters of survey, and matters of ownership,” he said.
Lonkoi said greater coordination of land administration could reduce confusion arising from the involvement of different government offices and improve access to justice for residents.
The Community Land Action Now (CLAN) network, which is supporting the consultations, said protecting community land also required greater awareness among residents of their rights and responsibilities.
Philip Koyei, the Coordinator of the CLAN Steering Committee, said the forum allowed communities from different parts of Kajiado to present challenges affecting their ancestral land.
He said some grievances dated back generations while communities were also facing emerging threats to their land, urging the NLC to take their submissions into account.
Paul Lekapana cautioned the Maasai and other pastoralist communities against selling or subdividing communal land, saying fragmentation could undermine pastoral livelihoods by reducing areas available for livestock grazing.
“The Community Land Act is clear; our communities use land in a collective manner. If you subdivide a pastoralist’s land, where will the livestock find pasture?” he posed.
Lekapana called for communities to remain united in protecting their land and emphasized the principle of free, prior, and informed consent in decisions affecting community land.
Mohamed Yusuf Goni, a CLAN board member representing Northeastern Kenya, said the network operates in 22 counties and works to secure tenure for community land held by pastoralists, forest dwellers, fisherfolk, and other indigenous groups.
He said securing title deeds for community land was important in strengthening tenure and protecting communal resources.
“Land is a very contentious issue in Kenya, particularly for pastoralists, the indigenous, and fisherfolk. Our vision and mission is to ensure that our community land is protected and that communities are given the entitlement of ownership through title deeds,” Goni said.
He further highlighted the value of indigenous knowledge in documenting historical injustices and providing information that can assist the Commission in its investigations.
By Rop Janet
