NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 9 – The National Land Commission (NLC) has assured Kenyans that public views and submissions will play a central role in shaping new regulations aimed at addressing historical land injustices.
The Commission said feedback gathered through ongoing public participation forums across the country would help establish a fair and robust framework for investigating and resolving longstanding land grievances.
The forums are reviewing the Draft National Land Commission (Investigation of Historical Land Injustices) Regulations, 2026, which seek to improve how historical land claims are filed, investigated, determined and resolved.
NLC Commissioner Mary Seneta, who chairs the Historical Land Injustices Committee, said community experiences and stakeholder recommendations were critical to developing lasting solutions.
Speaking at the ACK Amani Conference Centre during a public participation forum involving representatives from Nakuru and Nyandarua counties, Seneta said the Commission was committed to working with communities and other stakeholders to promote land justice, reconciliation and peaceful coexistence.
She urged members of the public to participate fully in the review process and provide accurate, relevant information to guide the proposed regulatory and legislative changes.
“The information that NLC collects from these sittings is crucial. It will help the Commission determine longstanding land disputes and ensure peace and stability among the affected parties,” she said.
Seneta, who was accompanied by Commissioners Vincent Kigen and Mohammed Haji, said the newly constituted Commission had inherited a substantial backlog of historical land injustice claims and was working to resolve them.
Nakuru seeks priority for longstanding land disputes
Nakuru Deputy Governor David Kones urged the Commission to prioritise longstanding land disputes affecting communities across the region.
He cited Dundori, Solai, Kiptangwany, Elementaita, Maiella, Nessuit, Mauche, Soin and Subukia among areas requiring attention.
Kones also called for closer collaboration between the NLC, local communities and local administration to develop lasting solutions to land disputes.
He said unresolved land ownership claims and undocumented land rights had been passed down through generations, contributing to ethnic tensions, destruction of property, displacement and loss of life.
“The burden of undocumented land rights has been passed down through generations. Land disputes have also been a source of ethnic conflicts, destruction to properties, displacements and even death,” Kones said.
Commissioner Haji said land disputes were particularly sensitive because they involved more than economic interests, touching on people’s identity, history, unity and community relations.
NLC proposes changes to historical land claims process
The Draft National Land Commission (Historical Land Injustices) Regulations, 2026, seek to overhaul the framework for processing historical land grievances in Kenya.
The proposed regulations are intended to replace the 2017 regulations and establish clearer procedures for submitting claims, screening applications, conducting investigations, holding hearings and making determinations.
They also seek to provide a clearer framework for reviewing decisions and handling appeals, giving claimants and other affected parties a more structured process for pursuing historical land injustice claims.
The ongoing public participation exercise is intended to allow communities, stakeholders and members of the public to submit views before the regulations are finalised.
The Commission has maintained that public input will be critical in ensuring the proposed framework responds to the experiences of affected communities and supports fair, transparent and effective resolution of historical land grievances.
