Up to 28% of Kenyans feel they don’t have security of tenure over their properties, with the central region having the highest levels of insecurity. This is according to a recent survey conducted by Prindex, an organization which carries out continuous research on land rights. Tenure insecurity was found to be more pronounced in urban areas as compared to rural locations.
While reasons for tenure insecurity vary between owners and renters, lack of financial resources and disagreements with family members were the most commonly stated reasons for insecurity by property owners, whereas being asked to leave by the owner and lack of financial resources were the most common reasons for insecurity among renters.
According to the report, 61% of Kenyans feel they have security of land tenure while another 11% remained indifferent. Strong property rights are a fundamental component of economic development and social justice.
Also, from the survey findings, 48% of respondents in Kenya think property rights are well protected in the country, 78% say they know how to defend their property rights while 69% are confident that government authorities can enforce their rights in case they are challenged.
39% of the Kenyan respondents said they possess formal documents to prove ownership or rights-use of at least one of their properties. In any jurisdiction, the strength of property rights is measured by the level of citizens perception of them.
By comparison, the report shows that only 12% of Tanzanian respondents felt tenure insecure, 26% in Uganda and Ghana, and 22% in Nigeria. Prindex aims to provide global measurement of peoples’ perceptions of their property rights.
Download report here…
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