Land audit to end wildlife conservancy disputes - CS Wahome
Government data indicates that many conservancies in Kenya are holding larger tracts of land than they are legally entitled to.
In response to increasing tensions between conservancy owners and local communities, the government has announced plans to review land held by wildlife conservancies across the country.
This move comes amid rising disputes over land rights and resource use, especially in areas where conservancies have expanded into traditionally communal lands.
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According to Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome, government data indicates that many conservancies in Kenya are holding larger tracts of land than they are legally entitled to.
"Most conservancies in Kenya hold land that is bigger than they legally should, a result of poor documentation and records in terms of acreage and boundaries," Wahome said on Tuesday following a consultative meeting on community land registration and governance.
Kenya is home to over 230 wildlife conservancies that cover roughly 9.04 million hectares, or about 16 per cent of the country's total land area.
To put this into perspective, this is about the size of 12 million football fields.
Land records review
The government is now focusing on reviewing land records to ensure that any land held outside of the legal boundaries of conservancies is returned to the government for public use.
"We shall review so that land that is not within the documented areas or boundaries is reverted to government for public use," Wahome declared.
The announcement of the land review comes amid increasing conflict between conservancies and local communities.
One of the most notable sources of tension is in regions like Laikipia County, where pastoralist communities are in frequent conflict with landowners, particularly during periods of drought when grazing land becomes scarce.
Critics argue that some conservancy models have led to the displacement of indigenous communities, disrupting their traditional land rights and access to critical resources.
A recent documentary by DW shed light on the struggles faced by the Isiolo community, where a carbon credit conservancy has displaced locals and restricted access to essential grazing lands.
The conservancy, which has signed lucrative deals with major tech companies in the US for carbon credits, has brought in billions in revenue.
However, local communities say they have seen little benefit.
"There are herders who have been killed while attempting to graze within the conservancies," one community member claimed, pointing out that the land in question is believed to belong to them.
Despite the challenges faced by pastoral communities in Northern and Central Kenya, the government is pushing for the development of new towns and cities in these areas.
"Fast developing countries are building new cities from scratch in areas away from existing ones because this gives them a chance to plan," said Wahome.
"With the support of our county governments, I urge our communities to accept the bringing up of new towns and cities. We shall be keen on the interests of communities," she added.
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