Kisii,
8/9/2025
The National Land Commission on Monday kicked off a-two-day stakeholder engagement forum on minimum viable agricultural land sizes in the country, with the focus on the counties of Kisii, Nyamira, Migori and Vihiga.
Speaking at the opening ceremony National Land Commission Chairperson Gershom Otachi noted that the study conducted by the commission confirmed that land fragmentation driven by inheritance, rapid population growth has continued to threaten food security for the country.
He added that urban expansion, weak enforcement of planning and subdivision controls has resulted in uneconomical farm sizes, declining agricultural productivity and land disputes.
The event is taking place at the Kisii University.
In response to this and guided by the National Land Policy of 2009, Article 68 of the Constitution, and Land Act of 2012, the Commission in collaboration with University of Nairobi has developed a draft advisory on minimum viable agricultural land sizes.
“This Advisory is a critical step forward for Kenya. It provides the evidence base required to inform legislation and policymaking on minimum and maximum land sizes,” said Mr Otachi.
He added that the advisory bridges the gap that has previously hindered reform, given that earlier legislative attempts stalled due to insufficient empirical data and inadequate public participation.
On his part Kisii Governor H E Hon Simba Arati said that the advisory was timely, stating that the country needed food security to foster development.
He said that Kisii County was among the most affected counties in the country with land fragmentation.
Kisii University Vice Chancellor Prof Nathan Ongechi said the University will partner with other stakeholders to disseminate knowledge to the local community saying that their mandates goes beyond teaching.
Food and Agriculture (FAO) Deputy Country Representative Hamisi said that FAO will continue colloborating with the National Land Commission in discharging its mandate