EVOLUTION OF LAND TENURE SYSTEMS AMONG THE KIPSIGIS PEOPLE OFKERICHO COUNTY, KENYA, UP TO 1884

Land governance in Kenya, especially in Kericho County, has been significantly influenced by historical injustices, colonial legacies, and changing land policies over time. It has also been shaped by the interaction of local tenure systems, colonial takeover, and post-independence policies. This paper lays the historical groundwork for understanding later colonial and post-colonial land policy by providing a summary of the development of indigenous land tenure systems in Kenya before 1884. It focuses on the customary rules that control land access, use, and inheritance in African communities, with a specific emphasis on the Kipsigis in Kericho County. The study discusses major subject such as customary tenure rules, gender roles in landholding, and the early external forces that reshaped traditional institutions prior to the formal establishment of colonial control. It adopted a combination of Political Ecology and Political Economy theories. The study adopted a qualitative historical research design. It was conducted in Kericho County, focusing on Ainamoi, Kipkelion, Belgut, and Bureti wards. Participants included historians, researchers who specialize in Kenyan history and land policy, legal experts, land surveyors, economists, and environmentalists. A total of 30 informants were selected purposefully. Primary data sources included government documents, policies, and archival records from the Kenya National Archives, such as land surveys, court records, and legal documents. Secondary materials included published books, journal articles, newspapers, and magazines related to land distribution and utilization patterns. Thematic analysis was used to analyse and present data. The study revealed that, among the Kipsigis, land had several purposes, including providing a means of subsistence, conserving cultural memory, and providing a foundation for identity.  The distribution of resources was arranged according to age groups and clans, and women, although being prohibited from ownership, performed important roles in agriculture and ensuring food security. The communal structure was progressively eroded by the introduction of new concepts of property and commerce that were brought about by foreign connections with Arab-Swahili merchants, missionaries, and explorers by the middle of the nineteenth century. These early impacts laid the groundwork for the colonial invasion that occurred after the year 1884. During this time, British policies formalized land alienation, reconfigured governmental power, and redefined socio-economic life. The findings provide a critical perspective on the long-term effects of land policies in Kericho, adding to the discussion on land reform and fair governance in Kenya.