The Economic Effects of Land Registration on Smallholder Farms in Kenya: Evidence from Nyeri and Kakamega Districts

Abstract

Effects of land registration and title on security of tenure, use of formal credit, crop yields, and land concentration are analyzed from household and plot data in four Kenyan sites. Results indicate that the registration and titling program had a weak impact on perceived land rights of farmers, credit use and terms, crop yields, or concentration of land holdings. The conclusion is that titles are acquired for enhancing security of rights rather than for increasing agricultural production. Scarce government resources are best targeted towards providing better infrastructure and market opportunities, which should also foster a greater demand for titling.