February 17, 2025 (Nairobi, Kenya): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) through its Land Governance Unit, in collaboration with the host country’s Kenya National Land Commission and the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development of the Republic of Kenya have today unveiled a five-day learning and experience sharing visit to Kenya in which National land commissions from across the IGAD region, as well as key officials working in Ministries with a mandate on land in member states without a national land commission, are set to learn from Kenya’s National Land commission on its mandate and work.
Building on the outcomes of the inaugural IGAD Land Commissions Workshop held from 5th to 7th December 2022 in Mombasa, Kenya, this exchange visit will offer a platform for knowledge sharing and practical learning. The 2022 workshop highlighted the need for strengthened collaboration and capacity-building initiatives, including learning visits to improve the efficiency of land commissions across the IGAD member states.
The primary objective of the learning and exchange visit is to enable participating commissions to gain insights into Kenya’s land governance frameworks, with a focus on digitization and alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Specifically, the visit aims at the following.
- Showcase efforts towards the digitization and digitalization of land records and processes in Kenya.
- Demonstrate the role of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in resolving land disputes.
- Share experiences on land policy development and implementation.
- Develop a regional roadmap for strengthening land commissions and enhancing land governance.
During the opening session, Madam Joselyn Bigirwa, the IGAD Land governance Coordinator, speaking on behalf of Daher Elmi, Director of the Agriculture and Environment Division in IGAD, stated that the Kenya National Land Commission is a model for the IGAD region and IGAD is grateful that as a model they are not sitting on that knowledge but have collaborated with IGAD to share their work land commissions from across the region.
At the opening session, Mr Gershom Otachi, The Chairperson of the National Land Commission Chairman, highlighted that land within the region remains central to the social, political and economic activities that are fundamental to livelihoods, food security, incomes and employment. It is therefore our responsibility as individual Member States and collectively as a region to deliberate and advance solutions that promote sustainable land governance and administration. He added that this is an opportune moment in which member states shall learn from each other and deliberate on how they can enhance digitization of land information, and promote alternative dispute resolutions and land administration and governance.
The first day of the learning exchange visit ended with the Kenya National Land Commission presenting how it handles historical land injustices, dispute resolution work and compulsory land acquisition procedures and processes. The team from across the region will embark on visits to the alternative justice model centre in Kajiado as well as a visit to the Geospatial Data Center in Nairobi.
