*4.1. Results of Needs Assessment*

A range of land administration needs were identified (Table 1) for Kajiado county stakeholders, categorized along the main land administration functions of tenure, value, use, and development (Figure 2); however, other needs (such as governance) also emerged.




**Table 1.** *Cont.*

Land tenure security is identified as a fundamental need in Kajiado, and is being challenged by urbanization. In interviews, the county estimated that almost 80% of its registry's resources were directed towards resolving land disputes (e.g., in ground truthing and reporting). Unsurprisingly, the needs assessment reflects this: land tenure needs identified included improving the quality of registry information, especially spatial information; associated with this is the need to improve subdivision data in general—both in terms of data and processes—and more generally, the need for updated information. Other tenure needs related to spatial and administrative information pertaining to public utilities. Similarly, communities identified the need for better information about subdivisions (especially within group ranches) and the spatial extent of government wayleaves and associated rights. This was important to support understanding how land is acquired to protect right-of-way for maintaining public infrastructure and compensation, provided around reduced use rights.

The information needs identified around land value, use and development were not as easy to differentiate: all three functions of land are interlinked. From the government's perspective, identified needs with direct implications for land value were around better-quality information about the number of properties in the county. For the community, the identified needs reflected the need for preservation of culturally significant areas (e.g., important waterways) and objects (e.g., trees).

There were greater needs identified around land use, and these related to lack of knowledge around where boreholes were being placed and used (which is draining the local water table), the increasing impact of drought, and mitigating general environmental degradation, especially resulting from unregulated cottage industries, such as charcoal production (where burning of trees also impacts the value of private properties). Similarly, for communities, needs identified were around mitigating unsustainable land use practices that were either impacting the Maasai way of life, or draining environmental resources that impacted on their ability to rear livestock. While not directly referencing land information, most of the needs certainly infer some type of spatially-enabled decision-making, e.g., knowing where overgrazing occurs, and knowing where existing wildlife corridors are, or where to situate new ones.

The broader issues implicated in the identified land use needs are also reflected in the land development needs. Kajiado is rapidly urbanizing; consequently, the county government would like to better understand how to plan and manage development. This included the need for better spatial planning (through production of a county spatial plan), better planning controls (through zoning) (especially as land fragmentation is becoming an issue), and defining ecologically fragile areas. For the Maasai, land information needs around migratory corridors (e.g., restrict sale or give right-of-way encumbrances in favor of Maasai) and fertile waterways reinforce their desire for land use practices that enable them to flourish culturally. Considering the rapid influx of "outsiders", i.e., non-Maasai, into Kajiado, the community emphasized the importance of understanding and respecting Maasai communal-based practices of resource sharing and the implications this will have on property boundaries. However, there are also needs around broader environmental issues caused by over and unmanaged development, such as drought and deforestation, and wild animal infestations which damage property (e.g., water pipes) and spread disease amongst herds.

Finally, the whole range of governance needs emerged, which reflected the disconnect in land information and land policies at national and county levels and the disconnect between government and communities (despite the Constitution enshrining participatory action in land development) around rights (e.g., women's land rights) and responsibilities (e.g., improving community engagement). For the Maasai, additional elements reflected the disconnect between formal and customary knowledge systems (and relevant data), but reinforced the fact that communities do not have a good understanding of legal and policy frameworks pertaining to land (e.g., land conflict), which leaves them vulnerable to poor decision-making.
