Kenya’s new minority rights policy places land protection, cultural heritage and climate resilience at its core, pledging accelerated community land titling, safeguarding of sacred sites and increased funding for climate adaptation.
President William Ruto said the framework recognises that minority communities are often the first and hardest hit by climate change.
Addressing thousands of Kenyans at State House on Thursday, President William Ruto said the policy acknowledged historical injustices and present-day vulnerabilities faced by minority groups.
“Because your heritage is our national heritage,” he said, “the policy commits to protecting sacred sites, revitalising endangered languages, and integrating indigenous histories and knowledge systems into the national curriculum.”
The framework commits the government to accelerating the issuance of community land titles and establishing a digital registry to safeguard ancestral territories.
It also mandates Free, Prior and Informed Consent for projects on community land and fast-tracks the implementation of court rulings on historical land injustices.
Justice and security reforms are also central. The policy provides for mobile courts and legal aid centres in remote areas, training justice sector actors on minority rights, and integrating traditional conflict-resolution mechanisms into national peace architecture.
Recruitment of security personnel from local communities and strengthened community-led disarmament efforts are also outlined.
Climate vulnerability is explicitly addressed. Acknowledging that minority and indigenous communities are often the first and hardest hit by climate change, the policy allocates at least 30 percent of county climate funds to community-led adaptation initiatives.
Pastoral mobility corridors will be safeguarded, and indigenous knowledge integrated into national climate action.
The policy further recognises the compounded challenges faced by women, youth, persons with disabilities, elders and children within minority communities.
Measures include universal birth registration, youth leadership programmes, disability-inclusive infrastructure and strengthened responses to gender-based violence.
The President said these interventions were essential to building a cohesive nation. “You are central to our national identity, essential to our resilience, and indispensable to our peace and prosperity,” he said.
Concluding his remarks, President Ruto framed the policy as the beginning of a new chapter. “Let this day mark a new era of inclusion, dignity, and shared progress,” he said, calling on all Kenyans to help build a Kenya where everyone belongs, contributes, and thrives.
