KELIN and the National Land Commission hosted multistakeholder dialogues from 21^st to 25^th August 2023 in Kisumu and Homabay counties. In attendance were the County Executive Committee Members (CECM), Land registrars, Judiciary, National Government Administration Officers, Ministry of Lands, Law Society of Kenya, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Luo Council of Elders, Community Partners, CSOs and CBOs.

Misinformation, disinformation, and lack of general knowledge on claiming and protecting land rights featured as a major impediment to equitable land management. The CECM in Kisumu in his opening remarks observed the need to apply a gendered lens and human-centered approach on land management to protect vulnerable orphans and women being denied their land rights. On the other hand, CECM Homabay indicated that lack of awareness at the grassroots level is the major cause of land injustices.  

The land state and non-state actors resolved to form respective county land networks to champion the framework developed during the dialogues. The framework developed covers monitoring of the laws implementation and contribution to the legislative processes, such as the National Land Policy that is ongoing, sensitization and creation of public awareness materials as well as creating a movement of land actors mitigation pathway on land rights violations.

To contribute to the discussions on this forum, follow KELIN on our social media platforms using the hashtag:

#StrategicPartnerships #EquitableLandRights

Twitter: @KELINKenya @SYFFKenya

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kelinkenya    https://www.facebook.com/SYFFKenya/

For more information, please contact.

Kenneth Otieno Akach

Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS (KELIN)

Nyalenda Railways Estate, Block 9/220

Off Nairobi Road, Opposite YMCA

P.O. Box 7708| 40100 Kisumu – Kenya

Email: kotieno@kelinkenya.org

KELIN and the National Land Commission have planned to jointly hold land management stakeholder dialogue from 21^st to 25^th August 2023 in Kisumu and Homabay counties. Recent research has shown that Kenya’s land relations are undergoing dramatic alterations. This is because of both long-term socioeconomic change and deliberate policy choices. This, therefore, poses the need to consider socially desirable orientations of change, how change should be managed, and, most significantly, how and who should make such broad decisions. In this environment, the task of improving accountability in land and investment in governance is expected to remain a crucial domain for research and action in the coming years.

It is on this basis that the dialogues are planned between state actors and non-state actors to ensure meaningful involvement of women within decision-making spaces, including local and national policymaking; discuss and prefer review for land management regimes; stock take on lived realities on implementation of equitable land laws; and create interlinkages for stakeholders engagement to ensure the enjoyment of land rights for all.

To contribute to the discussions on this forum, follow KELIN on our social media platforms using the hashtag:

#StrategicPartnerships #EqitableLandRights

Twitter: @KELINKenya @SYFFKenya

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kelinkenya    https://www.facebook.com/SYFFKenya/

For more information, please contact.

Kenneth Otieno Akach

Program Officer, Women Land & Property Rights

Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS (KELIN)

Nyalenda Railways Estate, Block 9/220

Off Nairobi Road, Opposite YMCA

P.O. Box 7708| 40100 Kisumu – Kenya

Email: kotieno@kelinkenya.org

Caroline Oyumbo is a widow residing in Mbita Town within Homabay County. Today she is an elated woman having won a land boundary dispute at Mbita Law Courts. On the 26^th of April 2023, the Honorable Court’s decision saved Caroline’s parcel of land from being grabbed by third parties.

The journey to this success had been a long one for Mrs. Oyumbo. She was constantly harassed and intimidated for being a widow. The adverse party had threatened to take her entire parcel of land despite having already taken a portion of that said land. Caroline explained that this matter had drained her emotionally, physically, and psychologically by this matter. She reached out to KELIN for assistance. The case was assigned to an advocate who assisted Caroline in getting justice.

This victory has brought Mrs. Oyumbo so much joy. She has stated that she can now enjoy the fruits of her life-long labour. She is grateful to KELIN for the support. As an elder in her community, she has promised to pass on the knowledge to her community members, asking them to speak up against Women’s Land and Property Rights violations.

To contribute to the discussions on this forum, follow KELIN on our social media platforms using the hashtag:

#EquitableLandRights #WomenLandRights #EquitableSocialNorms

Twitter: @KELINKenya @SYFFKenya

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/kelinkenya    https://www.facebook.com/SYFFKenya/

For more information, please contact.

Kenneth Otieno Akach

Program Officer, Women Land & Property Rights

Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS (KELIN)

Nyalenda Railways Estate, Block 9/220

Off Nairobi Road, Opposite YMCA

P.O. Box 7708| 40100 Kisumu – Kenya

Email: kotieno@kelinkenya.org

Home

KELIN jointly with National Land Commission to convene the 2^nd annual forum on Natural Resource and Blue Economy within Lake Region Economic Block (LREB). The first forum in the region was held in February 2022 and offered a platform for dialogue on a good governance gesture, aimed to provide an effective platform for sharing information, and knowledge as well as reconciling perspectives and ideas from different actors, especially the duty-bearers and the rights holders about land and natural resources management and use.  The 2^nd forum’s main objectives are to build capacity and empower/induct new CECMs/Chief officers in the LREB region to manage land and natural resource portfolios in accordance with functional requirements; to take stock of the progress resulting from the initial dialogue’s action plan in Kisumu including challenges and lessons learned, and to promote sustainable land management and use of natural resources.

To contribute to the discussions on this forum, follow KELIN on our social media platforms using the hashtag:

#EquitableLandRights #WomenLandRights #EquitableSocialNorms

Twitter: @KELINKenya @SYFFKenya

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/kelinkenya    https://www.facebook.com/SYFFKenya/

For more information, please contact.

Kenneth Otieno Akach

Program Officer, Women Land & Property Rights

Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS (KELIN)

Nyalenda Railways Estate, Block 9/220

Off Nairobi Road, Opposite YMCA

P.O. Box 7708| 40100 Kisumu – Kenya

Email: kotieno@kelinkenya.org

Home

KELIN trained twenty messengers on effective communication, land, inheritance, and property rights to promote WLPR advocacy on the 30^th and 31^st March 2023. The knowledge build-up training attracted human rights defenders from four sub-counties of Kakamega County.

Mixed awareness and culture that is biased towards men on ownership of land were strong views that were expressed at the commencement of the training. Notably, one of the champions stated that she sort to be recruited as a police officer 4 times so that she can protect her mother and daughter after being mistreated by her father. Another messenger stated that his uncles were fighting for his father’s land stating that he is the only son but only had a daughter who do not need land. He was so thrilled that inheritance rights were covered and that the booklet on succession steps offered would guide him.

To mitigate rampant violation of women’s right to land, and inheritance reported, the messengers were encouraged to form grassroot intervention networks that they can use to sensitize their communities at the Chief’s barazas and their respective religious units. Further, as a supportive mechanism to the training, KELIN has planned mediation forums with the champions and will recruit elders to initiate the shaping of a positive outlook on women’s land and property rights. KELIN will hold a follow-up training on social norms in Kakamega to influence equitable practices that are protective of women’s rights and the security of the family’s future.

To contribute to the discussions on this forum, follow KELIN on our social media platforms using the hashtag:

#EquitableLandRights #WomenLandRights #EquitableSocialNorms

Twitter: @KELINKenya @SYFFKenya

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/kelinkenya    https://www.facebook.com/SYFFKenya/

For more information, please contact.

Kenneth Otieno Akach

Program Officer, Women Land & Property Rights

Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS (KELIN)

Nyalenda Railways Estate, Block 9/220

Off Nairobi Road, Opposite YMCA

P.O. Box 7708| 40100 Kisumu – Kenya

Email: kotieno@kelinkenya.org

KELIN is set to train 20 messengers on the 30^th and 31^st March 2023 in Kakamega.

The training is aimed at enabling the messengers to address myths and attitudes around social and peer norms in order to build a movement of community champions advocating for women’s land and property rights. This training will improve communication skills, enhance their advocacy efforts at community level and provide an opportunity for to drive key messages that resonate with women’s land tenure and gender equality.

The two-day training will also serve as a link between rights holders and duty bearers who have a responsibility to protect land rights.

To contribute to the discussions on this forum, follow KELIN on our social media platforms using the hashtag:

#EquitableLandRights #WLPRights #EquitableSocialNorms

Twitter: @KELINKenya @SYFFKenya

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/kelinkenya    https://www.facebook.com/SYFFKenya/

For more information, please contact.

Kenneth Otieno Akach

Program Officer, Women Land & Property Rights

Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS (KELIN)

Nyalenda Railways Estate, Block 9/220

Off Nairobi Road, Opposite YMCA

P.O. Box 7708| 40100 Kisumu – Kenya

Email: kotieno@kelinkenya.org

Home