People, Place and Property Rights: A Political Ethnography of Land in Molo, Kenya

Ulrika Kolben Waaranperä's book explores the heterodox notion of property rights in Molo, Kenya, challenging the universal definition of property rights and highlighting the political and relational nature of land reform.

Format: Hardback
Length: 130 pages
Publication date: 01 November 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

For over a century, the land rights of Molo in the Kenyan highlands have undergone a multitude of reforms and aspirations. Colonial and independent state administrations have restructured land tenure systems to establish and maintain authority or alleviate landlessness. At the same time, individuals on the ground have cultivated their own perspectives on property rights, place, and people. Through a comprehensive political ethnography, Ulrika Kolben Waaranperä unveils the heterodox notion of property rights that has emerged as land has been redistributed, settlement schemes established, electricity lines drawn, and electoral violence mobilized.

The book makes a significant contribution to the study of land and politics in Kenya and beyond by highlighting how conceptions of property rights are shaped by and constitutive of relations of belonging and authority. This relational perspective challenges the universal definition of property rights that underpins most contemporary land reforms. Instead, property rights are situated within the political and rendered legible for both definitional and distributional debates. In effect, land reform is posited as a fundamentally political undertaking.

The book explores the complex interplay between state institutions, local communities, and individual actors in the context of land reform in Kenya. It examines how different actors perceive and negotiate property rights, and how these perceptions and negotiations shape the outcomes of land reform initiatives. The book also explores the political and social dynamics that underpin land reform processes, including the role of power, privilege, and social networks in shaping access to and control over land.

One of the key findings of the book is that property rights are not static or universal, but are shaped by a range of social, economic, and political factors. The book argues that the concept of property rights should be understood as a social construct that is embedded in particular social, economic, and political contexts. This means that property rights cannot be understood in isolation from other social, economic, and political processes, such as land reform, urbanization, and globalization.

Another important finding of the book is that the distribution of property rights is not always equitable or fair. The book argues that the distribution of property rights is often shaped by historical legacies, power relations, and social inequalities. This means that land reform initiatives must address not only the legal and institutional aspects of property rights, but also the social and economic factors that contribute to unequal distribution.

The book also explores the role of technology in shaping land reform processes. The book argues that technology, such as GPS mapping, satellite imagery, and digital technologies, can be used to improve the transparency, accountability, and efficiency of land reform processes. However, the book also highlights the potential risks and challenges associated with the use of technology in land reform, such as the potential for data breaches, surveillance, and the commodification of land.

In conclusion, The Heterodox Notion of Property Rights in Kenya is a valuable contribution to the study of land and politics in Kenya and beyond. The book offers a nuanced and empirically grounded analysis of the complex and multifaceted nature of property rights in Kenya. By highlighting the heterodox notion of property rights, the book challenges the universal definition of property rights that underpins most contemporary land reforms. Instead, the book posits that property rights are situated within the political and rendered legible for both definitional and distributional debates. The book also offers valuable insights into the political and social dynamics that underpin land reform processes, and the role of technology in shaping these processes. The book is a must-read for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners interested in land and politics in Kenya and beyond.

Weight: 286g
Dimension: 160 x 242 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367559939