TITLE:
Land Tenure Changes, Agricultural Productivity and Resource Conservation in Transmara Sub County, Kenya
AUTHORS:
Joseph O. Otieno
KEYWORDS:
Land Tenure, Agricultural Productivity, Resource Management
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.12 No.8,
August
14,
2025
ABSTRACT: Land is a fundamental resource in the development process, especially in developing countries where land based extractive activities are the main basis of livelihoods in the rural areas. Land tenure is defined as a system of rights and institutions that govern ownership, access and use of land is critical in determining agricultural productivity and management of land-based resources. Understanding tenure systems and their effect on agricultural production is important in any country’s efforts to achieve sustainable development. The study’s objective was to look at how tenure changes in Transmara sub county from 1970’s have affected agricultural production and resource conservation. The sub county has diverse agricultural systems with occasional conflicts based on competing land ownership claims. The study was conducted using a cross survey design with a multiplicity of data collection techniques that included administering questionnaires to sampled respondents, focus group discussions and key informant interviews in the sub county between 2011 and 2012. It also involved a review of secondary data on changes in land tenure systems, agricultural productivity and resource management. Data analysis was largely descriptive and meant to show the nature and trends in land ownership and its’ impact on agricultural production and resource management. The findings of the research show that within the sub county land adjudication has led to ownership changing from group ranches to individual ownership leading to agricultural intensification in some parts of the county that includes cultivation of different crops and lesser role of livestock raising. The research also contributes to the literature gap by focusing on the dynamism of tenure systems from group ownership to private individual ownership.