Residents of Lokitonyala and Kalapata in West Pokot have reviewed a completed community land demarcation and survey exercise as the registration process moves forward.
The post-exercise meeting enabled communities to share experiences, provide feedback, identify issues requiring follow-up and plan the next steps in land registration.
DLCI, Acted Kenya and FAO Kenya are supporting community engagement to strengthen participation in securing and governing community land in West Pokot.
The community land registration process in West Pokot has moved to another stage following a post-exercise meeting that brought together residents of Lokitonyala and Kalapata to review the recently completed community land demarcation and survey exercise.
The meeting provided an opportunity for community members to reflect on their experiences during the exercise, share feedback, raise issues requiring follow-up and jointly discuss the next steps towards registration of their community land.
The engagement was supported through a partnership between the Drylands Learning and Capacity Building Initiative (DLCI), Acted Kenya and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO Kenya), with support from the Delegation of the European Union to Kenya.
Following the completion of the demarcation and survey exercise, residents gathered to assess how the process had progressed and document lessons from their experiences.
The post-exercise engagement enabled community members to provide feedback on the exercise and highlight issues that may require attention before the process proceeds to subsequent stages.
Such engagements also provide an opportunity for communities to remain informed about developments affecting their land and participate in decisions concerning the management and registration of community land.
Discussions during the meeting focused on identifying outstanding issues and jointly planning the way forward in the community land registration process.
By bringing communities together after the field exercise, the engagement helps ensure that feedback gathered during demarcation and surveying is considered as the process moves forward.
The approach also allows stakeholders and community members to identify lessons that can inform subsequent activities and strengthen participation throughout the registration process.
Community participation remains central to efforts to secure and strengthen governance of community land.
For residents of Lokitonyala and Kalapata, the post-exercise meeting created a platform to remain engaged beyond the physical demarcation and survey activities.
It also reinforced the importance of keeping communities informed and involved as land registration processes progress, particularly where decisions and follow-up actions can affect the management and use of community land.
The engagement forms part of broader efforts by DLCI and its partners to support communities in strengthening land governance and participation in the drylands.
Through its partnership with Acted Kenya and FAO Kenya, and with support from the Delegation of the European Union to Kenya, the initiative is facilitating community engagement around the land process.
The partners' support provides a platform for communities to contribute their experiences and perspectives while helping stakeholders identify practical issues that need to be addressed.
As the community land registration process progresses, continued engagement will be important in ensuring that residents remain informed and actively involved.
The experience from Lokitonyala and Kalapata demonstrates the value of post-exercise consultations in gathering community feedback, addressing outstanding concerns and preparing for subsequent stages.
With communities continuing to participate in the process, stakeholders are expected to build on the lessons from the demarcation and survey exercise as efforts to secure and strengthen governance of community land advance in West Pokot.