Effect of Colonial Conquest and Colonial Land Reforms on Land Policy Evolution in Kericho County, Kenya, 1895-1952
Abstract
Colonialism disrupted all dimensions of the life and existence of the colonized. In Kenya, the colonial administrations imposed all forms of draconian laws and regulations to subdue locals and achieve the British colonial conquest agenda. Land appropriation and the attendant land reforms in the colonial period represented the harshest forms and instruments of colonial control. This study traces the history of colonial conquest, foundations of land dispossession, and colonial land reforms in the native reserves of Kericho County, Kenya, from 1895 to 1952. The study was conducted in four main administrative wards of Kericho County, namely Ainamoi, Kipkelion, Belgut, and Bureti. This qualitative study relied on archival materials, government documents, interviews, and academic sources. Findings show that colonial land restructuring led to socio-economic changes. This included large-scale alienation of land for commercial agriculture, particularly tea, forced displacement and resettlement, increased squatting and tenancy, and reliance on wage labor in plantation economies. The colonial administration's priority of settler interests was not only economic, but also highly political, motivated by the desire to maintain British dominance while limiting African agency. It is recommended that Kericho County urgently conduct a detailed historical land audit. This should trace land ownership from colonial expropriations to post-independence transactions, emphasizing the role of political elites in land distribution.
Keywords: Political dynamics, Colonial conquest, Land reforms, Land policy evolution, Kericho County, Kenya
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