Property rights laws should guide the clearance of riparian reserves

The Kenyan government, through the Ministry of Lands, has launched a public consultation to harmonize divergent laws on the management of riparian reserves. The Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) highlighted challenges from multiple statutes and differing interpretations of the definition and measurement of reserves. Many properties, especially in Nairobi, were legitimately allocated and registered before independence, when riparian reserve categorization did not exist. ISK advises considering these existing property rights during ongoing inspections.