FAO Joins Environment and Land Court for 10th Anniversary
The Environment and Land Court in Kenya marked its 10th anniversary at the Pwani University in Kilifi County. The three day event was officially opened by the Prime Cabinet Secretary Hon. Musalia Mudavadi on behalf of H. E. William Samoei Ruto CGH; the President of the Republic of Kenya.
The occasion was also graced by Kenya’s Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court, Lady Justice Martha Koome, Judges of the Court of Appeal, Judges of the Environment and Land Court, visiting judges from the Supreme Court of South Africa, the National High Court of Brazil, and the ELC New South Wales; the Kilifi County Governor Hon. Gideon Mung’aro, National and County government representatives, judiciary staff and varied intergovernmental agencies and non-state actors.
FAO Representative Carla Mucavi gave a keynote address on land governance and the just launched Digital Land Governance Programme’s (DLGP) contribution to food security. Carla detailed the activities and projects in coastal region and their goal of ensuring food and nutrition security, sustainable land and natural resources use and management. She reiterated FAO’s commitment to support environment and land matters. The DLGP is an EU-Funded project that is being rolled out nationally in all the 47 counties of Kenya.
The anniversary celebration featured a conference that offered a platform for sharing of experiences, discussions and recommendations on access to environment, land and climate justice can be enhanced to unlock land for agricultural development. The conference also provided a platform to discuss innovative ways that emerging land and environment justice issues can be tackled for sustainable development.
The Environment and Land Court has powers to deal with disputes relating to land administration and management. The court is important to FAO because it works towards its mandate as 90% of land cases in the judicial system take longer than necessary rendering the subject land unavailable for agricultural development.
FAO staff led by Husna Mbarak shared their partnership experience with the Judiciary in matters concerning protection of land and environment and lessons to carry forward for effective support in realizing land and environmental justice. This has been through support towards the formulation, launch and piloting of Alternative Justice System in Kajiado, Capacity building of the Court Users Committees (CUCs), Digitization and digitalization of ELC to improve delivery of services, Integration of systems with other partners in the environment and land justice sector, development and launch of a casebook, information booklet and strategic plan.
A joint Communiqué of the Environment and Land Court and Stakeholders was endorsed by the Deputy President H.E. Rigathi Gachagua and Presiding Judge of the court Justice Angote. The event was closed by the Deputy President.