The struggle for sustainable land management and democratic development in Kenya: a history of greed and grievances

Abstract

This chapter draws attention to the centrality of land to political struggles in Kenya and shows how the tension in the land question are rooted in the colonial period and its attempts to polarize land relations around class, ethnic factors and political affiliations. It also discusses various dimensions of the land management or land questions in Kenya. These include demands to satisfy land hunger among the landless and demands for a democratic, equitable and sustainable land distribution that is capable of increasing livelihood opportunities as well as redressing the historical wrongs and re-establishing justice. The discussion underlines that equitable and sustainable access to land is essential for economic and democratic development in Kenya because of the agrarian nature of Kenyan society.