Start Date : 21 Apr 04   End Date : 21 Apr 04 Location: Nairobi,Kenya

Land policies for growth and poverty reduction
Nairobi, 21 April 2004

Kenya’s Minister for Lands and Human Settlements, Mr. Amos Kimunya, on Wednesday opened a one-day workshop at UN-HABITAT headquarters to discuss land policies for growth and poverty alleviation.

Mr. Kimunya said the need for a national land policy in Kenya had long been recognized as imperative for sustainable socio-economic development. Recently, he said, the appointment of a Commission for Inquiry into the Land Law System marked tangible attempts towards the development of national land policy.

He said the policy ensured the principles of equitable access to land and associated resources, as well as the security of land rights for all land holders, users and occupiers in good faith, including slum dwellers. Mr. Kimunya also said the policy incorporated sustainable and productive management of land based resources, transparent and cost effective administration of land, sound conservation and protection of ecologically sensitive areas, discouraging land practices discriminatory to women, encouraging communities to settle land disputes through recognised local community initiatives consistent with the constitution, and sensitivity to those affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The Deputy Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, Mr. Daniel Biau, said on behalf of the Land Sector Development Partners the issue of land lies at the heart of the challenge of economic growth and poverty reduction in every country and that the importance of good land management had been raised by the people of Kenya as a critical issue for sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction.

Secure land rights, he added, were critical to increasing productive investment in both urban and rural Kenya and this would allow people particularly the poor to contribute and benefit from the processes of economic growth and transformation. Availability of land was a major issue for the population who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods as it is a key productive asset for farming.

In urban areas, secure tenure is critical for upgrading the slums and ensuring that the 60 per
cent of the population of Nairobi who live in poverty in informal settlements, have a sustainable future.

The World Bank Country Director, Mr. Makhtar Diop said land conflicts were prominent in Kenya and that the bank was helping the government tackle land issues. Mr. Klaus Deininger, presented a World Bank report, “Land Policies for Growth and Poverty Reduction”. It argues that strengthening poor people's land rights and easing barriers to land transactions can set in motion a wide range of social and
economic benefits including improved governance, and the empowerment of women and other