The Kenya Land Commission and the Mwea Land Question, 1932 - 1934

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume V, Issue V, May 2021|ISSN 2454-6186 The Kenya Land Commission and the Mwea Land Question, 1932 - 1934 Gichobi Thomas Njiru1 and Peter Wagura waweru2 1Master’s student of History, Department of Public Affairs and Environmental Studies at Laikipia University P.O Box 799-10300 Kerugoya, Kenya 2Senior Lecturer of History, Department of Public Affairs and Environmental Studies at Laikipia University,1100-20300 Nyahururu Kenya Abstract: Several years after independence land related conflicts that was still struggling with a hoe to produce enough for still hovers in Mwea area. Despite the creation of a National subsistence.1 Land Commission to handle land issues by Kenya’s 2010 constitution, the issue of land use and ownership remains a In earnest, the colonial government embarked on creating major cause of conflict between communities notably the Agikyu, room for the settler class by alienating African land. Anderson Aembu,Mbeere and Akamba. The roots of these conflicts dates observes that from the time when first European settlers back to colonial times. After alienating African land, the colonial arrived in 1902, land in the colony was divided according to state embarked on creating reserves to accommodate African races as it was in South Africa with European Areas; the communities. However, the so called African reserves were famous “White Highlands‟‟ swallowing huge chunks of fertile haphazardly established without consideration to such factors African land. Furedi captures the state of affairs in the colony like fertility and future rise in population. Consequently, by 1920s the reserves were overcrowded, terribly denuded and by pointing out that the major prize given to European settlers could hardly support African productive capacities resulting to in Kenya was the White Highlands. The latter covered agitation for more land by African ethnicities. Surprisingly, up to approximately 71/2 million acres (3 million hectares) 1930, the government of the day did little if any to redress land compared to about 33 million acres reserved for Africans. The problems afflicting African population. In 1932, however, the land reserved for Europeans had the richest soil Kenya;-the colonial administration constituted the Kenya Land Commission area most suitable for commercial farming.2 (hereinafter KLC) to look into the land question and suggest a lasting solution to land grievances in the colony. The The White Highlands were cleared of African occupation by recommendations of KLC impacted heavily on land use and forcefully evicting Africans from their ancestral land. ownership in Kenya. Consequently, through the Colonial Land Ordinance of 1926 This paper therefore, examines the implications of the Kenya the famous African reserves were established to accommodate Land Commission on the Mwea land question. African ethnicities. Among the Agikuyu, three reserves were created; Kiambu (Kabete), Fort Hall (Murang‟a) and South Key Words: Land, Land Use, Mwea, Ownership, Reserve Nyeri (Gaki) reserves were established to accommodate the I. INTRODUCTION community whose land had since been alienated for White settlers. Other reserves in the colony included Laikipia for the n 1895 Kenya was declared British Protectorate amidst Maasai, Meru, and Embu among others.3 I protest by local African communities. This declaration marked the beginning of African struggle to retain ownership Even after establishment African reserves, Mwea Plains and utilization of what they termed as ancestral land. Colonial continued to be a Frontier area because it lay at the border of establishment in Kenya was characterized by massive different African reserves namely; Nyeri, Murang‟a, Mbeere expropriation of fertile African land to create room for and Embu Reserves. Consequently, disputes over land utilization and ownership in the Mwea Plains persisted during European settlers. Having put in place a costly railway line 4 from what is now Kenyan Coast to Uganda, the colonial the colonial and post-colonial period. government had to tactfully device ways of mitigating the cost The so called African reserves were established without of railway and fledgeling protectorate by making use of vast consideration of such factors as population increase and land in their newly acquired enclave. From 1901, White fertility. Consequently by the end of the 1920s most of the settlers started arriving in the colony following African reserves were overcrowded, seriously eroded and encouragement second Commissioner of the protectorate, Sir Charles Eliot, who believed in their ability to engage in large 1 David Anderson, Histories of the Hanged: Britain’s Dirty War in Kenya and scale commercial farming as opposed to an African populace the End of the Empire (London,2005), p.3 2 Frank Furedi, The Mau Mau War in Perspective (Nairobi,1989), p. 5 3 Godfrey Muriuki, A History of the Kikuyu 1500-1900 (New York,1974), p 29 4 R. Chambers and J. Morris, Mwea: An Irrigated Rice Settlement Scheme, (Muchen, 1973), 37-39. www.rsisinternational.org Page 547 International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume V, Issue V, May 2021|ISSN 2454-6186 could hardly support African productive capacities.5 As which were very important to their animals. According to him combined problems of population pressure, land hunger and therefore, the Mwea enclave belonged to the Mbeere declining agricultural production continued to afflict Africans, unequivocally. clamour for more land by African leaders and chiefs set in. When chief Kombo was put to task to explain how other This clamour was characterized by formation of political communities ended up occupying what he termed the Mbeere organizations such as Young Kikuyu Association (YKA), land he retorted that, „Ndia only extended their claims over Kikuyu Central Association (KCA), and UKamba Members lower Mwea after the we [Mbeere] were forced to vacate the Association (UMA) among others. Demands of alienated land plain following raids by the Ukavi [Maasai]‟8. However, led to rise of protests over what Africans termed oppressive Kombo acknowledged that dispute with the Ndia over land colonial land policies6 use and ownership in Mwea were common and were always In a bid to examine the land problem in the colony, the resolved through negotiations between elders from Mbeere colonial government established the famous Kenya Land and the Ndia people. Commission (hereinafter KLC) in 1932. The KLC that is The Mbeere claims of ownership over Mwea Plain received invariably known by its chairperson as Carter Commission support from Mr. H. E. Lambert, then District Commissioner was tasked to look into the land question in the colony and of Embu. Lambert who had been the Embu District propose a lasting solution to land problems in Kenya. This Commissioner since March 1929, acknowledged the Mbeere land commission collected views between 1932 and 1933 and claims over Mwea by affirming that: submitted its report to the colonial government in 1934. The land commission brushed and rejected a majority of African …their land extended a good deal west of claims to land safe for the Samburu who successfully this boundary (referring to Mbonjuki where convinced it their historical ownership of Lorroki plateau.7 the Northcote line passed). The Mbere in However, this commission ruled out additional land to the Mwea area were mainly pastoralists. A Africans and recommended redistribution of African succession of Maasai raids deprived them population to ease congestion in overcrowded areas and great part of their stock and forced them to conservation of other areas of the Reserves to improve retire to their present country east of the production. Members of the land commission also Rupingazi and Thiba rivers. In or about recommended a number of reforms on African land tenure. In 1919 the Ndia had taken to grazing their Mwea, community leaders and colonial administrator stock in the country claimed by the Mbere appeared in person or sent memorandum with their evidence and friction between the tribes appeared with regard to land use and ownership in Mwea. likely. This was prevented by a meeting between the Githaka owners, chiefs and 1.2 The Evidence Adduced Before KLC on Mwea Land Use elders, at which the boundary was agreed and Ownership upon and the usual oath of agreement was Colonial land policies were enacted with interests of the taken by the parties concerned. The original settlers at the heart of their designers. Consequently, the Mbere land extended into the area now colonial land ordinances trampled on African rights to access considered Ndia.9 and own what they considered ancestral land. These legal However, Mr Lambert acknowledged that it was difficult to writs were part of Whiteman‟s stratagem to reduce African locate the original boundary between the Ndia and the Mbeere folks to labourers on the settler estates. From October 1932 territory. This clearly shows the frontier nature of Mwea Plain the stage was set for colonial administrators as well as leaders and how the porosity of territorial boundaries contributed to of the antagonistic communities; Aembu, Mbeere, Ndia and land dispute in Precolonial Mwea. In further support of the Gichugu to appear before the land commission at Nyeri to Mbeere claims, Lambert invoked the social - cultural avail evidence regarding their stand on land use and significance of Mwea to the Mbeere community. He pointed ownership in Mwea. Kombo

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