Policy and Legislative criteria for acquisition and granting of land for investment purposes in Kenya

Kenya is currently implementing a number of large scale infrastructure and development projects aimed at trans forming the country into a newly industrializing, middle-income country. For this, the government has had to compulsorily acquire large tracts of land upon which the infrastructure is set. The law often creates formal mechanisms to guarantee accountability in public systems that drive land acquisitions, but additional mechanisms are necessary to ensure legitimate community interests are addressed, and therefore the acquisition is accepted and supported by the affected local community. This brief looks into the policy and legal provisions for the acquisition process, providing gaps and opportunities for community safeguards and good governance through legislation.