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International Environmental Law Research Centre OURS BY RIGHT LAW, POLITICS AND REALITIES OF COMMUNITY PROPERTY IN KENYA Patricia Kameri-Mbote, C. Odote, C. Musembi and M. Kamande Published in: Nairobi: Strathmore University Press (2013). This paper can be downloaded in PDF format from IELRC’s website at http://www.ielrc.org/content/b1302.pdf International Environmental Law Research Centre [email protected] www.ielrc.org OURS BY RIGHT: LAW, POLITICS AND REALITIES OF COMMUNITY PROPERTY IN KENYA By Prof. Patricia Kameri-Mbote Dr. Collins Odote Dr. Celestine Musembi Wilson Kamande 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS _________________________________________________________ 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS __________________________________________________ 6 FOREWORD ______________________________________________________________ 7 LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS _________________________________________________ 9 1.0 INTRODUCTION ______________________________________________________ 10 2.0 STUDY METHODOLOGY ______________________________________________ 13 2.1 Design ______________________________________________________________ 13 2.2 Site Selection ________________________________________________________ 13 2.3 Sampling and Sampling Procedure ______________________________________ 14 2.4 Data Sources and Data Collection Techniques _____________________________ 14 2.5 Data Collection ______________________________________________________ 15 2.6 Data Analysis, Interpretation and Presentation ____________________________ 15 2.7 Limitations of the Study _______________________________________________ 16 3.0 CONCEPTUALIZING COMMUNITY RIGHTS ____________________________ 17 3.1 Key Concepts ________________________________________________________ 17 3.1.1 Concept of Community_____________________________________________ 17 3.1.2 Concept of Property _______________________________________________ 18 3.1.3 Rights of the Property Owner ________________________________________ 21 3.1.4 Land as Property __________________________________________________ 21 3.2 The Nature of Community Rights _______________________________________ 23 3.3. Community Land Rights in Kenya ______________________________________ 26 3.3.1 The Land Question ________________________________________________ 26 3.3.2 Land Tenure Regimes ______________________________________________ 28 3.3.3 The Dawn of Community Rights _____________________________________ 29 3.3.4 Challenges in the Search for a Durable Community Land Rights Framework __ 31 4.0 THE STATE OF COMMUNITY RIGHTS IN KENYA: SELECTED CASE STUDIES ___ 35 4.1 Samburu ____________________________________________________________ 35 4.1.1 Introduction ______________________________________________________ 35 4.1.2 Nature of Community ______________________________________________ 39 4.1.3 Resources in the Community ________________________________________ 39 4.1.4 Holders of Community Rights _______________________________________ 41 4.1.5 Governance and Regulation of Community Land Transactions ______________ 42 4.2 Kasigau _____________________________________________________________ 42 2 4.2.1 Nature of Community ______________________________________________ 42 4.2.2 Resources and Rights Holders _______________________________________ 45 4.2.3 Protection Principles _______________________________________________ 50 4.2.4 Governance and Regulation of Community Land Transactions ______________ 53 4.3 East Mau ___________________________________________________________ 54 4.3.1 The Nature of Community __________________________________________ 54 4.3.2 Resources in the Community ________________________________________ 57 4.3.3 Holder of Community Rights ________________________________________ 57 4.3.4 Principles for Protection ____________________________________________ 58 4.3.5 Governance and Regulation of Community Land Transactions ______________ 62 4.4 Lamu _______________________________________________________________ 63 4.4.1 Introduction ______________________________________________________ 63 4.4.2 Nature of Community ______________________________________________ 64 4.4.3 Resources in the Community ________________________________________ 64 4.4.4 The Community Land Rights Recognition Model _______________________ 65 4.5 Yala ________________________________________________________________ 67 4.5.1 Introduction ______________________________________________________ 67 4.5.2 Land Tenure and Use ______________________________________________ 68 4.5.3 Community Land Tenure ___________________________________________ 69 4.5.4 Lessons for Land Legislation on Communal Land ________________________ 70 5.0 PROTECTION OF COMMUNITY RIGHTS: INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES ______________________________________ 71 5.1 Introduction _________________________________________________________ 71 5.2 International Instruments _____________________________________________ 71 5.2.1 Right to Self-Determination _________________________________________ 71 5.2.2 Right to Development ______________________________________________ 72 5.2.3 Rights of Indigenous Peoples ________________________________________ 73 5.2.4 Protection from Discrimination ______________________________________ 74 5.2.5 Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Practices on Sustainable Use of Biodiversity _______________________________________________________ 75 5.3 Regional Instruments _________________________________________________ 76 5.3.1 African _________________________________________________________ 76 5.3.2 Latin America ____________________________________________________ 78 5.4 Comparative Perspectives _____________________________________________ 81 5.4.1 International – Selected Countries ____________________________________ 81 5.4.2 Regional – Selected Countries _______________________________________ 85 5.4.3 Analysis of Comparative Experiences ________________________________ 103 6.0 GIVING MEANING TO “COMMUNITY RIGHTS” TO LAND AND RELATED RESOURCES IN KENYA _____________________________________________ 104 6.1 The Meaning of Community __________________________________________ 104 6.1.1 Existence of Community Rights _____________________________________ 104 6.1.2 Multiple Meanings _______________________________________________ 104 6.1.3 Internal Exclusion ________________________________________________ 105 3 6.1.4 Community Land Rights Without Community Land? ____________________ 106 6.1.5 Transient Tenure in the Absence of Community Land Law _______________ 106 6.1.6 Sustainability: Land Tenure and Land Use Link ________________________ 107 6.1.7 Need for Innovation ______________________________________________ 108 6.1.8 Lessons from Other Regions and Countries ____________________________ 109 6.2 Recommendations ___________________________________________________ 109 4 ABBREVIATIONS ACHR: American Convention of Human Rights ACHPR: African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ASAL: Arid and Semi-arid Land CBD: Convention on Biological Diversity CBNRM: Community Based Natural Resource Management CERD: Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination CLARA: Community Land Rights Act CLRM: Community Land Rights Recognition EIA: Environmental Impact Assessment FDA: Forest Development Authority FGD: Focus Group Discussion HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus IACHR: Inter-American Court of Human Rights ICCPR: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ICESCR: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ILO: International Labour Organization’s KWS: Kenya Wildlife Service LBDA; Lake Basin Development Authority NLC: National Land Commission NLP: National Land Policy NRT: Northern Rangeland Trust NGO: Non-governmental Organisation . PFM: Participatory Forest Management SCA: Supreme Court of Appeal UNDRIP: United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples USA: United States of America USAID: United States Agency for International Development VLA: Village Land Act 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The publication of this book would not have been possible without the help of a number of people and institutions. We wish to thank the Ford Foundation for providing the financial resources for the project ‘Giving Meaning to Community Rights to land and Related Resources in Kenya’ which generated the fodder for this book. Special thanks go to the Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya, Dr. Willy Mutunga, then Ford Foundation representative for Eastern Africa and Margaret Rugadya, Programme Officer, Expanding Community Rights over Natural Resources for their insights into the issues and enthusiasm for the project. We would also like to thank Honourable Justice (Professor) Jackton B. Ojwang of the Supreme Court of Kenya for reviewing the manuscript and bringing his wisdom to bear on its packaging for publication; Mr. Okumba Miruka for technical editing; Ms. Martha Miranda for lay-out design; Mr. Conrad Mudibo for designing the book cover; Ms. Elise Regairaz; Ms. Hellen Hilda Onyango; Peter Kwenjera and Ms. Anne Kotonya for research and administrative assistance; Dr. Florence Oloo, then Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs and Professor John Odhiambo, Vice Chancellor, Strathmore University; Dr. Luis Franceschi, the Dean, Strathmore Law School and the entire Strathmore University fraternity for providing an enabling environment for the research and publication of the book. We also owe immense gratitude to the community members of the studied sites and all those we interviewed