The government has stepped up efforts to restore degraded land after a new Bill aimed at protecting the country’s environment and improving food production was presented to Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa.
The proposed Land Reclamation Bill, 2026, seeks to provide Kenya with its first comprehensive legal framework for restoring degraded land, protecting water catchment areas and preventing further destruction of productive land.
The Bill was presented to the CS by the Land Reclamation Committee led by the Irrigation Secretary for Land Reclamation, Climate Resilience and Irrigation Management, Joel Tanui.
If passed into law, the proposed legislation will support the restoration of degraded ecosystems, strengthen food and water security and help the country respond to the growing effects of climate change.
It also seeks to put in place legal, institutional and financing mechanisms to support land reclamation projects and attract more investment into the sector.
The proposed law comes at a time when Kenya is grappling with land degradation caused by soil erosion, deforestation, prolonged drought and unsustainable land use, all of which continue to threaten farming and water resources.
According to the State Department for Irrigation, the country has been implementing land reclamation programmes for decades but lacks a comprehensive law to guide and coordinate the work.
“The main purpose of the Draft Bill is to facilitate accelerated and sustainable reclamation of degraded and waste lands and secure land degradation neutrality for food and water security, environmental sustainability and socio economic development,” the department said.
The Bill is also expected to strengthen coordination among government agencies and other stakeholders involved in restoring degraded land across the country.
Once enacted, the law is expected to play a key role in improving agricultural productivity, protecting water sources and restoring ecosystems as Kenya seeks to build resilience against climate change.
The draft Bill is currently undergoing the legislative process before it is tabled in Parliament for debate.
