Four hectares and a hoe: Maragoli smallholders and land tenure law in Kenya

Abstract

The paper outlines the historical development of Kenyan land tenure reform in relation to a group of smallholders in Maragoli. The transformation of common property into private property has not completely destroyed the authority of local institutions in matters of land tenure and land use. Customary social obligations have continued to play a role in the decision-making process of smallholders in Maragoli. The government in Kenya continues to be uninformed by the socioeconomic realities that affect smallholders. Agrarian law and administration should be built on the kinds of agricultural systems that are being practiced by the majority of the population in Kenya.