BY JOSHUA ONDEKE

As the morning sun spills over the dusty hills of Maji Moto in Narok County, 38-year-old Evelyne Nchoe, a single mother of four boys and one daughter, is already hard at work. Her hands are deep in the rich red soil as she plants indigenous tree seedlings beside her house. The scent of the wet soil lingers in the air, a gift from the recent long rains.

The landscape is dotted with acacia trees and scattered livestock, and in the distance, the Mau Forest looms, serving as a reminder of the precious
ecological treasures at stake. Amidst this natural beauty, however, a deep injustice persists.

I lost everything when my husband died. Evelyne says quietly, inviting us into her compound for a cup of tea.

“He sold our land without telling me. I had no right to stop him. Just three months later, he died, and I was left homeless,” she adds.

As a member of the Maji Moto Women Self-Help Group, Evelyne is one of the few women in the area who have managed to save enough money over six years, through her beauty business, to purchase five hectares of land. Even so, she does not hold a title deed.

Evelyne’s story mirrors a global challenge. According to the World Bank in 2023, despite contributing 40 per cent of its labour, women own less than 15 per cent of agricultural land in sub-Saharan Africa. In Kenya, the disparity is stark: only 1.62 per cent of land is registered solely to women, per the Kenya Land Alliance. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) notes women provide 80 per cent of Kenya’s farm labour, yet their lack of land rights stiles their agency in environmental decisions.

This disparity is even sharper in pastoral communities like the Maasai in Narok, where customary norms restrict women’s access to land. Land is not just a means of livelihood in the Maasai community; it represents identity, power, and the gateway to participation in conservation and restoration programs. Without it, women are often excluded from the key decisions that shape their lives and environment.

Cultural Silence

In conversations with five women from the Maji Moto area, only one reported owning land and not a single one had a title deed. When asked about their views on land, many grew quiet, looking at their feet or deferring to nearby men.

“As women, we do not know anything about land,” one woman told us. “In our community, only men talk about land issues.” Their discomfort spoke
volumes.

This cultural silence is not unique to Narok. A 2022 report by the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) found that patriarchal systems in over 30 countries disproportionately exclude women from land governance, undermining climate resilience. In pastoralist communities like the Maasai, customary norms often override statutory laws.

“Customary practices view land as a male inheritance. Even when laws exist, implementation in rural areas like Narok lags without community
sensitisation,” Dennis Owour, a senior counsel from Fida-Kenya, explains.

Elizabeth Kitare, another member of the self-help group, farms with her husband, but she dreams of owning her own land.

“If I had land, I would plant trees everywhere without asking anyone. I would conserve water and teach other women to do the same,” she says. “But as it is, I must wait for my husband to agree.”

This lack of secure land rights affects not only women’s autonomy but also the region’s environmental future. In dryland areas like Narok, which are
vulnerable to desertification and soil degradation, women are often deeply involved in afforestation, reforestation, and regenerative agriculture. Yet,
without legal land ownership, their participation in formal conservation programmes remains conditional.

A 2023 International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) study showed that women with land titles are 30 per cent more likely to invest in soil conservation and agroforestry.

In September 2024, the Green Belt Movement launched a tree-planting initiative in Narok, requiring participants to provide consent and allow their land to be utilised for agroforestry.

According to Mary Soila, a Green Belt Movement Extension Officer, many women were enthusiastic, but they had to first seek permission from their husbands. Some were even denied the chance to participate. 

Under a large acacia tree, we meet Kotoine Twala, a respected village elder. “Land is given to men and their sons. Girls are not given land because they marry and go to other families,” he explains.

This practice, though culturally accepted, contradicts Kenya’s legal framework. The 2010 Constitution of Kenya, Article 60, promotes equitable
access to land and explicitly protects women’s rights. Similarly, the Land Act (2012) and Matrimonial Property Act (2013) provide for joint ownership of land acquired during marriage and call for equality in inheritance.

Yet, enforcement remains weak, and cultural practices often override statutory law, especially in rural and pastoralist areas. According to a 2023 report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, only 1 per cent of land titles in Kenya are registered exclusively to women.

Gradual change

Naituyuang Sinchore, another woman we met, farms alongside her husband on their shared land. While she
does not own the land, but she participates in tree planting and decision-making. 

“My husband allows it,” she says, “If I had money, I would buy land for myself. I know how to care for it.” On the other side, as she prunes her trees, Evelyne says, “With the piece of land and other properties that I own, I will not follow tradition due to the hardships I have endured. I want my daughter to inherit this land.”

According to Elijah Mututua, Director of the Climate Change Unit in Narok County, they are seeing more girls in school and more women involved in climate work.

“Some are buying land, though it’s still rare. It is a slow journey, but it’s happening,” he says of this gradual change that could accelerate with the
enforcement of targeted policies.

Organisations like UN Women, FIDA-Kenya, and the Landesa Centre for Women’s Land Rights argue that improving women’s access to land is
essential for achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). A 2021 UNEP report found that women’s involvement in land management and conservation is critical to sustainable environmental practices.

Internationally, countries like Rwanda have made significant progress in registering land in women’s names. Following the 2004 Land Tenure Reform, more than 80 per cent of women in Rwanda now hold joint or individual land titles.

Locally, in parts of Embu and Kisii counties, land succession and women’s land cooperatives have enabled women to take more active roles in agriculture and conservation.

For conservation and restoration efforts in Kenya to truly succeed, we must involve those who nurture the land daily, not just in labour, but in law. Until then, women like Evelyne, Elizabeth, and Naituyuang will continue to grow trees, but not always on land they can call their own.

Joshua Ondeke is the Communications and Advocacy Officer, Green Belt Movement.