Customary System as ‘Constraint’ or ‘Enabler’ To Periurban Land Development: Case of Kisumu City, Kenya
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Date
2019
Authors
Wamukaya, Edwin
Mbathi, Musyimi
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The UFS
Abstract
Scholarly research on land delivery processes and land tenure dynamics in the
context of accelerated urbanization and massive rural-urban land use conversion in
sub-Saharan African cities remains limited, especially in Kenya. Kisumu city, Kenya’s
third largest urban agglomeration, is currently experiencing spontaneous growth and
uncontrolled outward expansions of urban development from the urban centre. This is
taking place in the peri-urban areas and rural hinterland, where urban-based actors,
under the pressure and anticipation of urbanization, undertake land transactions,
land tenure conversions, and land development. Making use of three case studies
that represent contrasting phases of settlement formation (incipient, intermediate,
and consolidated), this article attempts to provide knowledge, particularly on the
relationship between the land delivery processes, land tenure dynamics, and the role
of various actors involved in the context of land development. The results indicate
that the current trend with regard to landholding in the case study areas was a
gradual shift from community control to individualisation. There is a need to integrate
both customary and public authority’s efforts towards orderly urban development.
This study thus advocates for partnerships between the municipal authority and neocustomary/customary actors and, where appropriate, uses their creativity in solving
problems to adapt municipal by-laws and procedures.
Description
Article
Keywords
Customary system, informality, land development, peri-urban, Kisumu city
Citation
Wamukaya, E., & Mbathi, M. (2019). Customary system as ‘constraint’or ‘enabler’to periurban land development: Case of Kisumu city, Kenya. Town and Regional Planning, 75, 77-90.