PHYSICAL PLANNING AND LAND USE GOVERNANCE (PPLUG).
Land in Kenya is a key factor of production, making its proper management a requirement for sustainable development. The demand for arable land, grazing, forestry, wildlife, tourism and urban development are greater than the land resources available. These demands become more pressing every year with continued population growth. To address the identified key issues in land use management within a development oriented approach poses challenges to all stakeholders and requires integrative solutions across the policy, socio-economic, and environment sectors.
Land has been recognised as a critical resource in our country’s socio-economic development and delivery of The Vision 2030 and Millennium Development Goals. It is on this basis that the Kenya’s Constitution has provided the necessary legal backing to land ownership and utilization. The constitution also provides the context for the implementation of the National land policy. It further requires fundamental changes in the land sector and a well thought out process to ensure proper land use management.
EMCA, 1999 Section 9 (1) mandates NEMA to exercise general supervision and co-ordination over all matters relating to the environment and to be the principle instrument of the Government in implementation of all policies relating to the environment. In addition, NEMA is mandated under section 9 (2) (a) of the Act to co-ordinate the various environmental management activities undertaken by lead agencies to promote integration of Environmental considerations into development policies.
Under Section 9(2) (c) and (d) of EMCA,1999 NEMA, in consultation with lead agencies, is tasked with the function of establishing and reviewing land use guidelines and examining land use patterns to determine their impact on the quality and quantity of natural resources. It is also noted that Chapter 3.4 of the National Land Policy has given clear policy principles, vision, strategies, direction and course of action that the government intends to pursue on land use management in Kenya.