Constitution of the Republic of Kenya 2010
Property, Inheritance and Land Tenure
  • English
    ...
    (4) The provisions of this Chapter12 on equality shall be qualified to the extent strictly necessary for the application of Muslim law before the Kadhis’ courts, to persons who profess the Muslim religion, in matters relating to personal status, marriage, divorce and inheritance.
    … (Art. 24)
  • Swahili
    ...
    (4) Vifungu katika Sura hii kwa usawa vitatumika kwa kiwango ambacho ni lazima kabisa kutumia sharia ya Kiislamu mbele ya mahakama za Kadhi, kwa watu ambao ni waumini wa dini ya Kiisilamu, katika maswala yanayohusu hadhi binafsi, ndoa, talaka na urithi.
    … (Kifungu cha 24)
Property, Inheritance and Land Tenure
  • English
    (1) Subject to Article 65, every person has the right, either individually or in association with others, to acquire and own property—
    (a) of any description; and
    (b) in any part of Kenya.
    … (Art. 40)
  • Swahili
    (1) Kwa kuzingatia Kifungu cha 65, kila mtu ana haki, ama mtu mmoja mmoja au ushirika pamoja na wengine, ya kupata na kumiliki mali-
    (a) ya namna yoyote; na
    (b) katika sehemu yoyote ya Kenya.
    … (Kifungu cha 40)
Property, Inheritance and Land Tenure
  • English
    (1) Land in Kenya shall be held, used and managed in a manner that is equitable, efficient, productive and sustainable, and in accordance with the following principles—
    (a) equitable access to land;
    (b) security of land rights;

    (f) elimination of gender discrimination in law, customs and practices related to land and property in land; and
    (g) encouragement of communities to settle land disputes through recognised local community initiatives consistent with this Constitution.
    (2) These principles shall be implemented through a national land policy developed and reviewed regularly by the national government and through legislation. (Art. 60)
  • Swahili
    (1) Ardhi nchini Kenya itashikiliwa, kutumiwa na kusimamiwa kwa namna ambayo ni ya usawa, fanisi, yenye tija na endelevu, na kwa kufuata kanuni zifuatazo-
    (a) haki sawa ya kupata ardhi;
    (b) amana ya haki za ardhi;

    (f) kuondoa ubaguzi wa kijinsia katika sheria, mila na desturi zinazohusiana na ardhi na mali katika ardhi; na
    (g) kuwahimiza jamii kumaliza migogoro ya ardhi kupitia hatua zinazochukuliwa na jamii bila kukiuka Katiba hii.
    (2) Kanuni hizi zitatekelezwa kupitia sera ya ardhi ya kitaifa iliyoundwa na kupitiwa mara kwa mara na serikali ya kitaifa na kupitia sheria. (Kifungu cha 60)
Property, Inheritance and Land Tenure
  • English
    (1) All land in Kenya belongs to the people of Kenya collectively as a nation, as communities and as individuals.
    … (Art. 61)
  • Swahili
    (1) Ardhi yote nchini Kenya ni mali ya watu wa Kenya kwa pamoja kama taifa, jamii na kama mtu mmoja mmoja.
    … (Kifungu cha 61)
Property, Inheritance and Land Tenure
  • English
    (1) Community land shall vest in and be held by communities identified on the basis of ethnicity, culture or similar community of interest.
    (2) Community land consists of—
    (a) land lawfully registered in the name of group representatives under the provisions of any law;
    (b) land lawfully transferred to a specific community by any process of law;
    (c) any other land declared to be community land by an Act of Parliament; and
    (d) land that is—
    (i) lawfully held, managed or used by specific communities as community forests, grazing areas or shrines;
    (ii) ancestral lands and lands traditionally occupied by hunter-gatherer communities; or
    (iii) lawfully held as trust land by the county governments, but not including any public land held in trust by the county government under Article 62(2).
    … (Art. 63)
  • Swahili
    (1) Ardhi ya jamii itakabidhiwa na kushikiliwa na jamii zinazotambuliwa kwa msingi wa kabila, utamaduni au jamii yenye maslahi yanayofanana.
    (2) Ardhi ya jumuiya inajumuisha—
    (a) ardhi iliyosajiliwa kihalali kwa jina la wawakilishi wa kikundi chini ya masharti ya sheria yoyote;
    (b) ardhi ambayo umilikiwa wake umehamishwa kihalali kwenda kwa jamii mahususi kwa mchakato wowote wa sheria;
    (c) ardhi nyingine yoyote iliyotangazwa kuwa ardhi ya jamii kwa Sheria ya Bunge; na
    (d) ardhi ambayo—
    (i) inashikiliwa kihalali, inayosimamiwa au kutumiwa na jamii mahususi kama misitu ya jamii, maeneo ya malisho au shughuli za kiimani;
    (ii) ardhi za mababu na ardhi ambazo kiutamaduni zilishikiliwa na jamii za wawindaji na waokotaji; au
    (iii) imeshikiliwa kisheria na serikali za kaunti kama ardhi ya amana, lakini haijumuishi ardhi yoyote ya umma inayoshikiliwa na serikali ya kaunti chini ya Kifungu cha 62(2).
    … (Kifungu cha 63)
Property, Inheritance and Land Tenure
  • English
    Private land consists of —
    (a) registered land held by any person under any freehold tenure;
    (b) land held by any person under leasehold tenure; and
    (c) any other land declared private land under an Act of Parliament. (Art. 64)
  • Swahili
    Ardhi yenye umiliki binafsi inajumuisha -
    (a) ardhi iliyosajiliwa ambayo inamilikiwa na mtu yeyote chini ya umiliki wowote chini ya muda usiokuwa na kikomo;
    (b) ardhi inayomilikiwa na mtu yeyote chini ya umiliki wa kukodisha; na
    (c) ardhi nyingine yoyote iliyotangazwa kuwa ni ya umiliki binafsi chini ya Sheria ya Bunge. (Kifungu cha 64)
Property, Inheritance and Land Tenure
  • English
    Parliament shall—
    (a) revise, consolidate and rationalise existing land laws;
    (b) revise sectoral land use laws in accordance with the principles set out in Article 60 (1); and
    (c) enact legislation—
    (i) to prescribe minimum and maximum land holding acreages in respect of private land;
    (ii) to regulate the manner in which any land may be converted from one category to another;
    (iii) to regulate the recognition and protection of matrimonial property and in particular the matrimonial home during and on the termination of marriage;
    (iv) to protect, conserve and provide access to all public land;
    (v) to enable the review of all grants or dispositions of public land to establish their propriety or legality;
    (vi) to protect the dependants of deceased persons holding interests in any land, including the interests of spouses in actual occupation of land;
    … (Art. 68)
  • Swahili
    Bunge-
    (a) litapitia, kuunganisha na kurekebisha sheria za ardhi zilizopo;
    (b) litapitia sheria za matumizi ya ardhi ya kisekta kwa mujibu wa kanuni zilizowekwa katika Kifungu cha 60 (1); na
    (c) litatunga sheria-
    (i) ili kuelezea kiwango cha chini na cha juu cha ekari za ardhi zinazoweza kumilikiwa na watu binafsi;
    (ii) ili kusimamia namna ambavyo ardhi yoyote inaweza kubadilishwa kutoka kwenye kipengele kimoja kwenda kingine;
    (iii) itasimamia utambuzi na ulinzi wa mali ya wanandoa na haswa nyumba ya wanandoa wakati wa ndoa na wakati wa kuvunjika ndoa;
    (iv) italinda, kuhifadhi na kutoa idhini ya ufikiaji wa ardhi yote ya umma;
    (v) itawezesha uhakiki wa ruzuku zote au matumizi ya ardhi ya umma i li kujua usahihi na uhalali wake;
    (vi) itawalinda tegemezi wa marehemu wenye maslahi katika ardhi yoyote, ikiwa ni pamoja na masilahi ya wanandoa katika umiliki halisi wa ardhi;
    … (Kifungu cha 68)
Property, Inheritance and Land Tenure
  • English
    ...
    (5) The jurisdiction of a Kadhis’ court shall be limited to the determination of questions of Muslim law relating to personal status, marriage, divorce or inheritance in proceedings in which all the parties profess the Muslim religion and submit to the jurisdiction of the Kadhi’s courts.
    … (Art. 170)
  • Swahili
    ...
    (5) Mamlaka ya Mahakama ya Kadhi yatakuwa na mipaka itakayoishia katika kuamua shauri la sheria ya Kiisilamu inayohusiana na hadhi binafsi, ndoa, talaka au urithi katika kesi ambazo kwazo pande zote ni waumini wa dini ya Kiislamu na wanaitii mamlaka ya mahakama za Kadhi.
    … (Kifungu cha 170)
1

Constitution of the Republic of Kenya 2010 (English). According to Art. 7: "… 2. The official languages of the Republic are Kiswahili and English. …"

2

Constitution of the Republic of Kenya 2010 (Swahili). UN Women in-house translation (2020).

Links to all sites last visited 14 February 2024
3
According to Art. 260: “‘Affirmative action’ includes any measure designed to overcome or ameliorate an inequity or the systemic denial or infringement of a right or fundamental freedom;...”.
4
According to Art. 248: “(2) The commissions are— (a) the Kenya National Human Rights and Equality Commission; (b) the National Land Commission; (c) the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission; (d) the Parliamentary Service Commission; (e) the Judicial Service Commission; (f) the Commission on Revenue Allocation; (g) the Public Service Commission; (h) the Salaries and Remuneration Commission; (i) the Teachers Service Commission; and (j) the National Police Service Commission.”
5
According to Art. 260: “‘Affirmative action’ includes any measure designed to overcome or ameliorate an inequity or the systemic denial or infringement of a right or fundamental freedom;...”.
6
According to Art. 248: “(2) The commissions are— (a) the Kenya National Human Rights and Equality Commission; (b) the National Land Commission; (c) the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission; (d) the Parliamentary Service Commission; (e) the Judicial Service Commission; (f) the Commission on Revenue Allocation; (g) the Public Service Commission; (h) the Salaries and Remuneration Commission; (i) the Teachers Service Commission; and (j) the National Police Service Commission.”
7
Chapter 4 on Bill of Rights.
8
According to Art. 260: “‘Affirmative action’ includes any measure designed to overcome or ameliorate an inequity or the systemic denial or infringement of a right or fundamental freedom;...”.
9
According to Art. 248: “(2) The commissions are— (a) the Kenya National Human Rights and Equality Commission; (b) the National Land Commission; (c) the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission; (d) the Parliamentary Service Commission; (e) the Judicial Service Commission; (f) the Commission on Revenue Allocation; (g) the Public Service Commission; (h) the Salaries and Remuneration Commission; (i) the Teachers Service Commission; and (j) the National Police Service Commission.”
10
According to Art. 260: “‘Affirmative action’ includes any measure designed to overcome or ameliorate an inequity or the systemic denial or infringement of a right or fundamental freedom;...”.
11
According to Art. 248: “(2) The commissions are— (a) the Kenya National Human Rights and Equality Commission; (b) the National Land Commission; (c) the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission; (d) the Parliamentary Service Commission; (e) the Judicial Service Commission; (f) the Commission on Revenue Allocation; (g) the Public Service Commission; (h) the Salaries and Remuneration Commission; (i) the Teachers Service Commission; and (j) the National Police Service Commission.”
12
Chapter 4 on Bill of Rights.
13
Chapter 4 on Bill of Rights.