Kenya Bets on Blockchain to Secure Community Land Rights: Will It Deliver?

Nairobi, Kenya — In the pastoral lands of Turkana and the lush highlands of Narok, a quiet revolution is underway. Kenya has launched a groundbreaking pilot project that aims to use blockchain technology to secure communal land rights in traditionally marginalised areas. For the communities involved, the initiative holds the promise of long-awaited legal recognition and protection from land grabs. For the country, it represents a bold experiment in harnessing emerging technology for grassroots justice.

For generations, communities in Turkana and Narok have relied on shared land for survival, identity, and cultural continuity — yet many remain without formal recognition of their rights. Through a bold blockchain pilot, these communities are now mapping and securing their claims on a transparent digital ledger, offering new hope for protection, dignity, and lasting land justice in a rapidly changing world. (Photo: Turkana County Government)

Launched in early 2025 through a partnership between the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning, a local tech start-up, and the non-profit organisation Mazingira Yetu, the pilot is being rolled out in two counties where ancestral land claims have long gone unrecorded. It leverages blockchain’s decentralised ledger system to document and secure community land claims in a transparent and tamper-proof digital environment.

The goal is to improve tenure security, foster trust in land transactions, and enhance community-level governance of land resources.

Reconciling Law and Reality

The move is timely. Despite Kenya’s progressive Community Land Act (2016), implementation has been slow and uneven. Many communities have lacked the technical capacity, legal support, or political leverage to have their lands formally recognised. At the same time, the threat of commercial encroachment has increased, particularly in areas rich in natural resources or targeted for infrastructure development.

Blockchain, supporters argue, can offer a transparent and incorruptible system for recording land rights — one that is accessible even in areas with weak institutions and limited connectivity. “By placing land records on a decentralised ledger, we reduce the risk of manipulation or duplication,” says Felix Ouma, a technologist with LandChain, the company providing the digital infrastructure. “The technology allows communities to not only register their claims but monitor and track any changes in real time.”

In practice, the pilot involves a mix of high-tech and traditional methods. Community members participate in mapping their land boundaries using GPS-enabled devices, after which the information is validated by local elders and registered on the blockchain. The result is a secure, digital certificate accessible through mobile platforms. Local facilitators — trained paralegals and youth leaders — guide the process, ensuring that customary practices are respected while legal safeguards are upheld.

Inclusion, Innovation, and Grassroots Leadership

For women in particular, the initiative offers new hope. In many pastoral communities, women have historically been excluded from land decision-making. Yet in Turkana, women like Dorcas Eregae are now serving as mapping coordinators, leading dialogues, and helping shape digital records that reflect inclusive ownership structures. “This is the first time I feel our voices are not only being heard but recorded,” she says.

Still, challenges persist. Some critics question whether blockchain’s technical complexity may hinder long-term sustainability. Others worry that digitisation may entrench new forms of exclusion if communities lack ongoing support, especially once the pilot ends.

“Technology is only as good as the governance framework behind it,” warns Professor Naomi Gichuki, a land rights expert at the University of Nairobi. “Without legal reforms and accountability mechanisms, even the most advanced systems can fail.”

Furthermore, questions of data ownership and consent are gaining attention. Who controls the information on the blockchain? How is it updated, and what mechanisms exist to address disputes? These are not minor technicalities, but core concerns that could determine the project’s long-term impact.

A Model in the Making?

Yet for many involved, the stakes are clear. If successful, the pilot could serve as a model for other African nations grappling with the challenge of recognising and protecting customary land rights in a digital age. Already, delegations from Uganda, Zambia, and Ethiopia have visited the project sites to observe and exchange ideas.

For now, the land remains dry, the trees sparse, and the lives of many in these regions still shaped by deep uncertainty. But there is movement — a sense that something long promised may finally be taking root. In the words of community elder Samuel Lemok: “We are not just putting our land on a map. We are putting our people in the story.”