The National Land Commission has appealed for Sh 7.05 billion to run its operations in the 2026/2027 financial year, telling lawmakers that inadequate funding is slowing down land justice processes, delaying compensation work, and leaving several long-running disputes unresolved in different parts of the country.
While presenting the proposal before the Parliamentary Committee on Lands on Tuesday, the Commission’s Chief Executive Officer, Kabale Tache said the institution is facing rising pressure to deliver on its constitutional duties at a time when resources remain limited, and the workload continues to grow.
The NLC CEO Kabale Tache stated, “The National Land Commission has a resource requirement of Kshs 7.05 billion for FY 2026/2027 to effectively deliver on its constitutional mandate.”
She told the committee that handling historical land injustice claims remains one of the most demanding areas, with new petitions still being filed while older cases remain pending due to limited financial support.
Kabale said, “Processing of historical injustice claims and settlement of squatters remains underfunded despite growing demand.”
The Commission noted that it is dealing with claims spread across various regions, many dating back years, requiring detailed checks, documentation, and verification before any decisions can be made.
At the same time, the issue of resettling squatters and landless groups continues to weigh heavily on the institution, with several settlement projects still stalled due to lack of adequate funds.
Tache also highlighted that compensation tied to compulsory land acquisition for government projects is placing a continued strain on available resources, especially as infrastructure development expands.
“Compensation for compulsory acquisition continues to exert pressure on the available budget and the settlement of squatters and landless communities with several settlement schemes still pending due to lack of sufficient funds,” Tache said.
She explained that under the law, the Commission is required to compensate landowners whenever land is acquired for public use, a duty that has become financially demanding and has, in some cases, slowed down project implementation.
The Commission is also pushing for the digitisation of land records and systems as part of efforts to improve efficiency, reduce disputes, and curb irregularities in land administration.
However, the CEO said progress has been limited by budget constraints, despite growing demand for faster and more reliable services.
Work is also ongoing in land adjudication and registration in areas where ownership remains unclear, alongside efforts to improve land use planning to support orderly development.
Tache acknowledged that financial limitations have affected the delivery of several key programmes, making it difficult for the Commission to fully meet public expectations.
She told lawmakers, “The Commission has experienced budgetary shortfalls which have affected implementation of key programmes.”
Meanwhile, demand for land-related services, including dispute resolution, advisory services, and administration support, continues to grow across both national and county levels.
The CEO added, “There is increasing demand for land administration services across the country.”
The Sh 7.05 billion request now awaits consideration by Parliament, where it will be weighed alongside other national spending needs.
If approved, the Commission says the funding will help unlock progress in key areas such as resolution of historical land injustice claims, settlement of squatters and landless communities, compensation for compulsory land acquisition, digitisation of land records, completion of adjudication and registration processes, and strengthening land use planning systems.
However, Tache cautioned that if the funding gap remains, delays in compensation, dispute resolution, and reforms in the land sector are likely to persist.