Land Law and the Transformation of Customary Tenure

The Mbeere of Central Kenya have recently been the focus of a programme of land adjudication and registration. Since the early 1960s when the Mbeere anticipated that they too would undergo the land reform process that had been applied elsewhere in Kenya, much of their attention has been riveted to the question of land tenure change. The new mode of holding land promises security of tenure through a registered title, significantly reduced land litigation, and rural development through agricultural loans for which titled land will stand as collateral. Ironically, the implementation of national land legislation has created great insecurity since it has set in motion an unprecedented amount of litigation.