The National Land Commission says it will prioritise thousands of pending land disputes and investigate claims of historical land injustices following a visit to Kisumu County.
Commissioner Susan Oyatsi said the commission had about 7,000 pending cases involving the review of land grants, with some awaiting hearings and others requiring the implementation of earlier decisions.
Speaking during a public participation exercise in Kisumu, Oyatsi said the commission would begin addressing the backlog once new regulations governing the process had been gazetted.
“This is just the beginning,” she said, adding that the commission would return to listen to complaints from affected communities once the regulations were in force.
Historical land injustices include cases in which communities were displaced from their ancestral land without adequate compensation, particularly to make way for government projects and large-scale agricultural schemes.
Oyatsi cited Kisumu Airport and the region’s sugar-growing belt as examples of projects that may have displaced communities, raising questions about whether those affected were adequately compensated.
She said the commission would examine such claims and recommend measures to address injustices where evidence supports them.
Land fraud under scrutiny
The commission also plans to hear complaints involving alleged land grabbing and fraudulent land transactions.
Oyatsi said cases involving suspected fraud could be referred to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for further investigation.
She warned individuals who had unlawfully acquired land that the commission would examine complaints fairly and recommend appropriate action where offences were established.
The commission’s role includes investigating claims and making recommendations, but it does not directly issue land titles or implement settlement decisions.
Those responsibilities fall to the Ministry of Lands and other relevant government agencies, which must work with the commission to implement its recommendations.
Oyatsi said the commission would engage the ministry to address outstanding decisions, beginning with older recommendations in an effort to reduce the backlog.
Communities urged not to lose hope
The commissioner acknowledged concerns among communities whose land grievances have remained unresolved for years.
She said previous commissions had investigated historical land injustices, but some cases remained incomplete after changes in the legal framework restricted the period within which claims could be heard.
Parliament amended the National Land Commission Act last year, according to Oyatsi, opening the way for the commission to continue handling the cases without the previous time restriction.
She said decisions made by earlier commissions remained binding and would not simply be overturned by the current commission.
During the Kisumu visit, the commission also met Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o to discuss land-related concerns and other issues affecting the county.
Oyatsi said the commission, county government, Ministry of Lands and other relevant agencies would work together to find solutions for affected residents.
She urged communities with unresolved claims not to lose hope, saying the commission intended to make progress during its six-year term.
“We cannot have historical land injustices forever,” she said.
NLC vice-chair Dr Julie Oseko said recent amendments to the National Land Commission Act had removed the previous five-year legal limit, giving the commission more time to address thousands of pending cases.
Dr Oseko said the commission will gazette regulations and prioritise older recommendations as it works with the Ministry of Lands and county agencies to facilitate proper community resettlement.
“We cannot have historical land injustices forever. We are going to do as much as we can in six years. We are here for the long haul,” Oseko said.
With institutional support and cooperation from county leaders, the commission aims to resolve disputes relating to displacement, land ownership and grants.
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