Country facts · public asset history
Kenya
Public land in Kenya is vested in the people and held in trust by the National Land Commission for national government land and by county governments for county land. Irregular allocation of public land has been the subject of repeated public inquiries since the 1990s.
Who holds public assets in trust
National Land Commission
Created under the 2010 Constitution to manage public land on behalf of national and county government, and empowered to review grants and dispositions of public land.
Office of the Auditor-General
Audits the use of public money and public assets by ministries, counties and state corporations, and reports to Parliament.
Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission
Investigates corruption and economic crime, and pursues recovery of unlawfully acquired public property.
Assets Recovery Agency
Civil recovery body established under the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act to trace, freeze and forfeit proceeds of crime.
Milestones
- 2004The Ndung'u Report on the illegal and irregular allocation of public land is presented to government.
- 2010New Constitution classifies land as public, community or private and creates the National Land Commission.
- 2012Land Act and Land Registration Act modernise registration and the handling of public land.
- 2016Community Land Act brings unregistered community land under formal protection.
Commonly contested assets
- Urban public forest and riparian reserves
- Road, rail and port reserve land
- School, hospital and cemetery plots
- State corporation land and idle industrial estates
Official sources
This page describes institutions and publicly documented events. It makes no allegation against any individual.