| dc.description.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 | en |
