The Kenya Land Commission and The Mwea Land Question, 1932 – 1934

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue V, May 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

The Kenya Land Commission and The Mwea Land Question, 1932 – 1934

Gichobi Thomas Njiru¹ and Peter Wagura waweru^2
1Master’s student of History, Department of Public Affairs and Environmental Studies at Laikipia University P.O Box 799-10300 Kerugoya, Kenya.
²Senior Lecturer of History, Department of Public Affairs and Environmental Studies at Laikipia University,1100-20300 Nyahururu Kenya.

Abstract
Several years after independence land related conflicts still hovers in Mwea area. Despite the creation of a National Land Commission to handle land issues by Kenya’s 2010 constitution, the issue of land use and ownership remains a major cause of conflict between communities notably the Agikyu, Aembu,Mbeere and Akamba. The roots of these conflicts dates back to colonial times. After alienating African land, the colonial state embarked on creating reserves to accommodate African communities. However, the so called African reserves were haphazardly established without consideration to such factors like fertility and future rise in population. Consequently, by 1920s the reserves were overcrowded, terribly denuded and could hardly support African productive capacities resulting to agitation for more land by African ethnicities. Surprisingly, up to 1930, the government of the day did little if any to redress land problems afflicting African population. In 1932, however, the colonial administration constituted the Kenya Land Commission (hereinafter KLC) to look into the land question and suggest a lasting solution to land grievances in the colony. The recommendations of KLC impacted heavily on land use and ownership in Kenya.

This paper therefore, examines the implications of the Kenya Land Commission on the Mwea land question.

KEY WORDS: Land, Land Use, Mwea, Ownership, Reserve

1.0INTRODUCTION

In 1895 Kenya was declared British Protectorate amidst protest by local African communities. This declaration marked the beginning of African struggle to retain ownership and utilization of what they termed as ancestral land. Colonial establishment in Kenya was characterized by massive expropriation of fertile African land to create room for European settlers. Having put in place a costly railway line from what is now Kenyan Coast to Uganda, the colonial government had to tactfully device ways of mitigating the cost of railway and fledgeling protectorate by making use of vast land in their newly acquired enclave. From 1901, White settlers started arriving in the colony following encouragement second Commissioner of the protectorate, Sir Charles Eliot, who believed in their ability to engage in large scale commercial farming as opposed to an African populace that was still struggling with a hoe to produce enough for subsistence.

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