Governing Women’s Land Rights: Leadership, Institutions and Access to and Control of Land in South Mugirango, Kisii County, Kenya
Karen Nyamoita Magara, Peter Gutwa Oino, Vivian Nyaata
Kisii University, School of Arts and Social Sciences,
P.O. Box 408–40200, Kisii, Kenya
Email: nyamoita2016@gmail.com
Abstract: Land is more than a productive asset for women in rural Kenya; it underpins livelihood security, household wellbeing, economic opportunity, and participation in decisions affecting their lives. Despite Kenya’s progressive legal framework protecting women’s land rights, formal protection does not always translate into meaningful access or control. This study examined how governance structures, leadership practices, and interactions between statutory and customary institutions shape women’s land rights in Kenya. Guided by Feminist Political Ecology, the study adopted a convergent mixed-methods design, combining a structured survey of women farmers with key-informant interviews involving local leaders and land-governance officials. Quantitative data from 241 valid cases were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were thematically analysed and integrated with survey findings. Results show that women’s land rights are constrained less by gaps in legislation than by weaknesses in implementation. Corruption in land allocation was the leading governance concern (M = 4.23, SD = 1.06), followed by high registration costs (M = 4.08, SD = 1.14), bureaucratic delays (M = 3.90, SD = 0.88), weak enforcement (M = 3.89, SD = 0.76), and discrimination during registration (M = 3.79, SD = 0.99). Qualitative accounts further revealed limited influence in decision-making, family pressures, costly procedures, documentation requirements, and limited legal awareness. The findings highlight how customary authority and weak accountability mediate women’s ability to exercise legally recognised rights. The study calls for accountable, gender-responsive land governance through stronger institutional coordination, legal literacy, meaningful participation, and structured dialogue between statutory and customary authorities.
