An investigation on the effects of individualization of land tenure on land use pattern in pastoral areas: a case study of Lemek location Narok Disrict

Abstract

The project investigates the effects of individualization of land tenure on land use pattern among pastoral communities with specific reference to Lemek location of Narok District. The area was previously a Pastoral zone but is now experiencing changes where other forms of land uses are emerging bringing to the fore the systematic socio-economic changes that are taking place within the pastoral set-up. Pastoralism is an old activity probably as old as the pastoral communities, which practice it over the years. The various socio-economic and political interventions that have taken place over the years since the coming of white settlers have led to positive changes to the land use in the area of study. Land ownership has undergone several phases of change. At independence the native reserves were administered through trust land Act that was entrusted to local authorities as trustees of the community land falling within its jurisdiction. Later on Land (Group Representatives) Act [CAP 2860f 1968 revised 1977] was introduced in the Pastoral areas of Kenya to assign definite property rights to specific ... groups so that the consequences of misuse and return to investments in future productivity are made specific, to the holders of those property rights; (Davis, 1970 in 1. Holland). The present system, which is believed to be the best type of land tenure, is the privatisation of land ownership through the process of adjudication and registration of land. The study comprises both quantitative and qualitative data that will be collected by the researcher through interviews, questionnaires, field visits or obtained from relevant published The study found out that the group ranch members themselves initiated Group ranch subdivisions to individual titles in Lemek. This removed the communal nature of land holding and controls giving the landowners the freedom of choice as far as their intended use of land an,' its management are concerned. This encouraged landowners in diversification of land use to other activities such as crop production and wildlife tourism