By Njeri Irungu,
Nairobi, Kenya,
December 17,2025.
The National Land Commission (NLC) and Community Land Action Now (CLAN!) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening the protection, governance, and sustainable use of community land across Kenya.
The agreement, signed on December 15, 2025, marks a significant step in deepening collaboration between a constitutional land governance body and a grassroots network representing indigenous peoples and local communities in multiple counties.
Under the partnership, the two institutions will work together to advance secure land tenure, improve land rights monitoring, and support communities navigating the transition from group ranches to community land as provided for under the Community Land Act, 2016.
Speaking through the framework of the MoU, the National Land Commission reaffirmed its constitutional mandate under Article 67 of the Constitution of Kenya, which includes managing public land on behalf of national and county governments, addressing historical land injustices, promoting alternative and traditional dispute resolution mechanisms, and overseeing land use planning across the country.
CLAN!, a solidarity network formed in 2018 and hosted by the Chepkitale Indigenous People Development Project, brings together indigenous peoples, pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, forest communities, and grassroots organizations to collectively advocate for secure community land tenure. The network has been actively involved in community land mapping, capacity building, and negotiations with government and private investors on sustainable natural resource use.
The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including joint policy dialogues, research and documentation on community land rights, dispute resolution mechanisms, and interventions addressing historical land injustices. The partnership will also support the implementation of the Land Tenure Facility (LTF) project and the development of a national land rights monitoring framework.
As part of the agreement, NLC will convene technical working groups, provide policy and legal guidance, facilitate access to land data, and coordinate with relevant government institutions and counties. CLAN! will mobilize communities, identify local resource persons, support community land mapping processes, and prepare reports for dissemination and learning.
Both parties emphasized that the MoU is not legally binding but reflects a strong mutual commitment to collaboration, transparency, and accountability. The agreement is non-exclusive, allowing both institutions to continue engaging with other partners in pursuit of shared objectives.
Funding for joint activities will be mobilized through complementary and co-financing arrangements, with both parties free to pursue independent or joint resource mobilization efforts. Any financial obligations will be governed by separate activity-based agreements.
The partnership will run until April 2027, with provisions for renewal by mutual consent. Regular reviews, learning exchanges, and documentation of best practices will be conducted to ensure that lessons from the collaboration inform land governance policy and practice in Kenya.
The MoU was signed on behalf of the National Land Commission by Chairperson of the Partnership Committee, Hon. Tiyah Galgalo, MBS, and Chief Executive Officer Kabale Tache Areto, MBS. CLAN! was represented by its President, Dr. Abubakar Ketemon Lewano, and Chairperson of the Steering Committee, Samante Anne.
The collaboration is expected to play a critical role in promoting equitable access to land, safeguarding community land rights, and strengthening inclusive land governance in line with Kenya’s constitutional and legal framework.
