Nairobi
November 24, 2023
In fulfilling its mandate ‘to recommend a National Land Policy to the National Government’, the National Land Commission on Friday handed over the recommended National Land Policy to Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Alice Wahome.
Speaking while receiving the document in Nairobi, the Lands CS said her Ministry will spearhead the review and development of the National Land Policy, promising to continue working with all stakeholders, development partners, civil Society, academia, professional bodies, non-state actors and key stakeholders to enhance the recommendations from the National Land Commission.
“The Ministry has targeted to complete the policy review and development process by end of this financial year. This will include public participation, submission to Cabinet for approval and submission to Parliament for debate. We appreciate the support from FAO in the formulation of this policy,” she said.
The CS added that the Ministry will ensure that the Second National Land Policy is robust enough to “guide the country in achieving efficient and sustainable use, management and administration of land in line with the constitution, Vision 2030 and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).”
On his part, State Department for Lands Principal Secretary Hon. Generali Nixon Korir appreciated the efforts by the Commission in the development of the document, further noting that the Constitution of Kenya lays emphasis on National Land Policy that will facilitate realisation of efficient and sustainable use, management and administration of land.
He stated that the State Department will use the recommendations to finalise the review of 2009 policy and develop National Land Policy of 2023 through a consultative and participatory process.
NLC Chairperson Gershom Otachi said the document entails a number of important thematic areas in the land sector.
Mr Otachi called for full implementation of the eventual Policy document noting that it is not enough to have good land laws and policies without implementing its recommendation.
“In this document we have a whole chapter on implementation framework,” he noted.
Land Use Committee Chair of Commissioner Hon. Esther Murugi said that the access and optimal use of land should be the focus as opposed to land ownership.
NLC CEO Kabale Tache Arero said that the recommendations speaks of the aspirations of Kenyans on the manner they would like to see the land sector managed.
“Fourteen years ago in 2009, this country gave to itself a National Land Policy that was not only transformational but also set us on the journey to reforms we had only dreamed of for more than four decades since independence. Hon. Cabinet Secretary, we gather here this morning to continue with the journey of perfecting the administration and management of land in our country,” the CEO said.
She thanked the development partners for supporting the Commission during the development of the second National Land Policy.
Commissioners Kazungu Kambi, Reginald Okumu, Hon. Tiyah Galgalo, Hubbie Hussein, Prof. James Tuitoek were also in attendance.
The formulation of the recommendations received tremendous support from FAO/EU, Kenya Legal & Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN), Pamoja Trust, Habitat for Humanity, Institution of Surveyors of Kenya, Town and County Planners Association, and RECONCILE among others.