1. University of Nairobi, Kenya Lund University, Sweden
The Role of Pastoralists’ Tenure Security in Sustainable Land Management: Evidence from West Pokot, Kenya  
Deborah Namayi Muricho, David Jakinda Otieno, Willis Oluoch-Kosura & Magnus Jistrom
University of Nairobi, Kenya
Lund University, Sweden

2. Pastoralists Land Constraints
Pastoralism - Livelihood option where households derive over 50% of their food and income needs from livestock
Land is a key production resource for pastoralists – grazing/ transhumant movement and crop production.
Land constraints – expropriation, encroachment and fragmentation due to population pressure and increase in frequency and severity of droughts
These constraints lead to land degradation resulting in lower productivity – low income and food insecurity

3. Sustainable Land Management and Tenure Security
Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices are important in reversing the degradation process and improving land productivity
This would lead to stable livelihoods and sustainable development (SDG 1, 2 &13)
Land tenure security is an important incentive for pastoralists to invest in SLM – exclusive rights over benefits that accrue
This study assessed whether and how different land tenure regimes and security affect pastoralists' adoption of SLM.

4. Survey Methodology
Participatory survey methods were used to collect data in West Pokot County, Kenya: community-level focused group meetings, key informant interviews & 191 individual households’ survey
Data collected proved insights on:
Land use changes and constraints experienced
Sustainable Land Management Practices
The effect of land tenure security on application of SLM

5. Household Characteristics
Frequency / Mean (n= 191)
Standard Deviation
Respondents from arid locations (%)
Semi arid locations (%)
54.5
45.55
Gender (% male)
81.7
Age (mean)
46.3
10.89
Years of schooling of household head (mean)
5.1
4.30
Tropical Livestock Unit* owned by the household (mean)
12.5
10.44
Households deriving over 75% of their income from livestock (%) 82
Number of household members (mean)
7.4
2.36
Per capita annual income (mean Kshs)
Households accessing communally owned pasture grounds
52.4
Transhumance distance moved (mean return kilometers)
36.8
15.43
Land size (mean acres)
3.8
3.70
Land Tenure Regime
Private with title deed (%)
Private without title deed (%)
Communal (%) 35 40 25

6. Main Findings A) Changes in Land
Increasing sedentarization especially in the semi arid areas brought about by:
Urbanization and commercialization
Changing land ownership regime from communal to private
Population pressure & resource scarcity especially grazing lands.
Institutional changes such as Free Primary Education and Anti – Female Genital Mutilation leading to cultural change

7. Sustainable Land Management Practices
Rehabilitating degraded land – Enclosures and rotational grazing
Agro forestry – agrisilvopastoralism for fodder trees such as Caliandra calothyrsus and Sesbania sesban, orchards and entomosilviculture (bee keeping + agroforestry)
Soil nutrient management - Mulching, use of organic manure and planting cover crops e.g. Desmodium
Soil and water management - Terraces and furrows

8. Importance of SLM
Rehabilitating degraded land – reverses effects of degradation, reduces soil erosion and enhances land productivity
Agro forestry – control soil erosion, nitrogen fixing trees enhance soil fertility, sequester carbon, fodder trees enhance livestock productivity, fruits and honey enhance households’ food security and income
Soil nutrient management – mulch, cover crops, organic manure avail nutrients to crops to be grown
Soil and water management – reduce run-off speed, and thus help in controlling erosion and water harvested supports crops during dry periods

9. Sustainable Land Management under Different Land Tenure Regimes

10. Discussion
Soil nutrient management through use of livestock droppings as organic manure was the most practiced SLM
Rehabilitating degraded land, agro forestry, soil nutrient management and soil and water management are mostly practiced under private land ownership regimes (Rights of possession, dispossession, exclusion, renting are well defined)
Traditional institutions govern the access and use of communal grazing land shared by the Pokots and Karamoja of Uganda

11. Conclusion and Implications
Properly defined bundle of rights to land as in the case with privately owned land enhances tenure security
Tenure security is an important impetus in the adoption of SLM practices
Enhance tenure security to both individuals (Private)and communities (Communal Land Act, 2016) to enhance sustainable land management innovations
Enhance access to credit and extension services to spur investment in sustainable land management practices.

12. Acknowledgements
Triple L (Land, Livestock & Livelihoods) Research Project for funding the research
Pastoralists & data collection team in West Pokot for hospitality & fruitful cooperation in data collection.
Urban Agriculture Project (Lund University & UoN) for financial support towards travel & participation in this conference
THANK YOU ALL