University of Twente Student Theses
Assessing the impacts of land succession practices on keeping land information up to date in Kenya: a case study in Siaya County
Rajul, Joseph (2023) Assessing the impacts of land succession practices on keeping land information up to date in Kenya: a case study in Siaya County.
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| Abstract: | This study aimed to assess the impact of land succession practices on keeping land information up to date in Kenya. Most of Africa’s rural citizens live in lands registered under great-grandparents who died many decades ago. Maintaining up to date land registers is a growing concern for the security of tenure, enhancement of land markets, durable sustainable planning practices, and policy-making decisions. It demands equally the prompt reporting of land transactions and also an alignment between de facto land rights and official recording systems. Some of the questions this research aimed to answer were what are the land inheritance practices in Kenya, and how do these practices influence the process of keeping land information up to date? What are some of the gaps between the legal requirements and these practices? What are some innovative and pro-poor approaches to support the process of updating land information? A qualitative research approach, consisting of both primary and secondary data was used to carry out the research. Primary data were collected from 101 households in East Ugenya, Siaya, Kenya using questionnaires and interviews between December 2022-January 2023. In-depth interviews were carried out with the stakeholders involved in the land succession processes. The stakeholders interviewed included three conveyancing lawyers, three land registrars, and the local administration. Key informant interviews were carried out with key individuals with extensive knowledge of Luo land customs. Two focus group discussions were also held on February 2023. Secondary data was collected from existing literature, and legal guidelines from Kenya and the selected countries. The primary data was then analysed using typical content analysis and Excel to assess the rate of land succession in the study area, the percentage of updating land information and the factors influencing the land succession practices in the study area. This study found that family settings and the conflict between the private and communal land tenure systems were some factors contributing to the non-updating of land information. External and internal factors were found to be intertwined. For example, the family might have sorted out their differences and agreed to undertake the legal process, however, the land offices might be too far, or the cost involved too much for the rural citizens to afford. Based on the findings, a framework of good practices table to support keeping land information up to date in Kenya and a discussion using the identified factors is developed. These factors are identified using the Environmental, Political, Institutional, Social-Cultural, Technological, Economic and Legal (EPISTEL) framework. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | ITC: Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation |
| Subject: | 02 science and culture in general |
| Programme: | Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation MSc (75014) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/96860 |
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