Land tenure in West Pokot County is primarily communal pastoral land (group ranches) and individual smallholder holdings in agricultural zones. Communal pastoral land is collectively managed by pastoral communities through traditional governance structures and group ranch organizations. Individual land titles exist in limited areas, primarily agricultural highland zones and Kapenguria. Pastoral mobility has been constrained by land privatization and administrative boundaries. Community land holdings are increasingly formalized through group ranch registration. Title adjudication has been limited, leaving ownership documentation uncertain for many properties. Government and community-held land exists alongside individual private holdings. Land disputes arise from competing claims, inheritance, and boundary ambiguity.
Pastoral Land Management
Communal pastoral ranches are managed by membership groups that regulate grazing and water access. Traditional authorities (clan leaders, age-set systems) manage land allocation within pastoral communities. Seasonal grazing rights allow pastoral movement across group ranch boundaries. Pastoral land fragmentation from individual privatization reduces mobility and pastoral capacity. Water point management is often contentious, with competing claims over water access. Grassland degradation from overgrazing requires active rangeland management. Community pasture improvement projects aim to enhance vegetation and productivity. Pastoral land formalization (group ranch titling) provides legal clarity but can limit traditional mobility. Conflict over land access between pastoralists and non-pastoral settlers occurs in some areas.
Agricultural Land and Settlement
Agricultural land in highlands is increasingly individually owned through title deeds. Land inheritance follows customary rules, often favoring male heirs. Land subdivision from individual inheritance creates fragmentation. Young farmers face difficulties accessing sufficient land for productive farming. Land rental and sharecropping arrangements provide access for landless farmers. Informal settlements on community land create land tenure insecurity. Government land allocation programs are occasionally implemented but provide limited beneficiary reach. Land disputes in agricultural zones involve competing inheritance claims and boundary disputes. Land conservation (erosion control, water retention) improves long-term productivity. Environmental concerns influence land use restrictions (forest protection, water source protection).