Colonial Land Policies among the Embu East (1895–1963)

Abstract

Land in Kenya is valued as the most critical asset. This is because of the significant impact it has on the lives of Kenyan people, whether wealthy or poor. It is an essential factor of production and is central to the country's economic activities. In pre-colonial Kenya, land ownership was on a communal basis. The arrival of colonial masters in East Africa, Kenya and Embu East specifically placed land more critical than ever. This led to land tenure disparagements, effectively leading to land alienation and disputes over land issues among the Embu East. This, in response, led to social and economic suffering among the people. The research adopted a historical research design. The target population was the Embu East sub-county. Purposive and snowballing sampling techniques were used. Archival and oral information constituted primary sources, while library textbooks, journals and periodicals were secondary sources. A sample size of 51 participants was used for this informed study. The introduction of colonial land policies resulted in a change in land ownership structures, leading to land expropriation and conflict.