In Nandi and its neighbouring counties debate is ongoing about not renewing land leases for vast tea estates. In Kiambu, Del Monte has already given 635/1,000 acres to the county government in return for renewal of a lease for the other land it operates on.
The clamour to not renew land leases is gathering pace at the Coast, Nairobi and Central.
One thing is clear, the ramifications will be felt by many far and wide. Aside from the political win, most residents will immediately begin feeling the effects of the decision on the economic and social front.
Kiambu is a case in point of what can go wrong when the land repossession debate is not handled with care. After months of threats and arm-twisting, Del Monte was forced to surrender 635/1,000 acres to the county government. The initial demand was for 6,500 acres out of a total of 10,000. No one knows if the matter is now fully rested or if another politician will make similar demands.
Del Monte is a Kenyan food processing company that produces and cans pineapple products. It is among the top five pineapple exporters in the world, employs about 7,000 workers and has an estimated Sh4.5 billion annual revenue. Disrupting the operations of such a firm will have economic ramifications to employees and the surrounding communities no doubt.
After all the clamour for the land, no one seems to know what to do with the 635/1,000 acres. Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu, Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina and other Kiambu leaders are all arguing over how to utilise the land.
Wainaina and other Kiambu leaders want the land used to house hospitals, schools, markets and light industries, but Waititu wants to resettle landless people from Kiandutu slum on it.
There are a number of problems, however: One, it is not clear how many acres were ceded. Media reports give two figures—1,000 and 635.
Two, it has become a hot political issue. It is interesting that no one in the Kiambu leadership had thought of how the land would be put to use once it was relinquished.
As we all know, once an issue takes a political angle, it will be some time before it is resolved, and in most cases the solution will rarely be in the interest of residents.
The script is as good as done. The political leadership will most likely call for public participation to decide what to do with the land. This will then be followed with a disagreement over personal ownership versus public utilities as different interest groups weigh in. In the end, the poor residents will be the ones to lose out.
It is time the national government took a strong stand against this reckless trend of converting economically productive land to small pieces that are not economically viable and are a potential hotbed of conflict.
The role of national government in protecting land as an asset and a key factor of production needs to be decisive and clear, otherwise we risk conflict as a country.
It is time to tame the county governments lest they run amok with ill-conceived short-term decisions on land tenures that in the long run neither benefit the local communities nor the national economy.
Like we all know, land in Kenya is such an emotive issue. Let us tread with care.