Are forest tenure rights secure for local communities and indigenous peoples in Kenya? Assessment of land tenure rights under Kenya’s new legal framework

July 2020
CIFOR Brochure 7526 (Robert Kibugi and Esther Mwangi)

CIFOR undertook a review of Kenya’s legal framework to understand whether legal provisions were sufficient to secure community land and forest rights. Asks how adequate Kenya’s legal framework was in protecting and promoting tenure rights of forest communities. The law appears to offer adequate security for the tenure rights of forest communities. Forests on communal land are secure, at least on paper. Areas of public gazetted forests claimed by indigenous groups as their customary territory are not well secured by law, but a task force is now addressing this gap. Most challenges lie in determining community identity and customary land rights and registration of the community and land rights. Outlines key actions needed to strengthen forest communities’ tenure rights.