Struggles of Access to land. The 'Squatter Question' in Coastal Kenya

Abstract

In Kenya and the sub-Saharan Africa generally, there have been little systematic discussions on the post-colonial struggles over control and ownership of land. Studies ignore that the "land question" is not about production alone and consequently have failed to assess its wider consequences on the society. This raises the question, "what is the current socio-political dimension to the land question and what is the consequence of their interplay with other changes underway in the country?" This Working Paper addresses this question by discussing popular struggles of access to land in the coastal region which studies seem to have ignored despite its distinct political history. The Working Paper is based on results of a survey conducted in Kilifi district, Coast provinces, between September 1995 and November 1996. The author thanks the Nordic African Institute, Uppsala, for financing the study on which this paper is based.