| Title | How Government Intervention in Securing Land in Geothermal Rich Areas Can Act as a Catalyst to Accelerating Exploitation of Geothermal Resources in Kenya |
|---|---|
| Authors | Clety Bore |
| Year | 2026 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | Public land, Private land, Community land, Geothermal resources |
| Abstract | Land ownership is an emotive issue in Kenya. Communities and individuals place a lot of importance on land resources. Land ownership in Kenya is categorized into private, community or public owned land. Many areas with geothermal resources in Kenya are mostly in community or privately owned lands. Whereas access to geothermal resources in publicly owned land is relatively easy, access to resources in private or community owned lands is quite challenging. This means that access to most geothermal resources in Kenya is likely to face hurdles because of land ownership and this needs to be addressed as a matter of priority as a way to unlock and accelerate development of geothermal resources. This paper reviews the nature of land ownership in Kenya in the areas with geothermal potential and the challenges in accessing such lands. The paper discusses the documented challenges to access of land in areas where geothermal potential exists in Kenya. The paper cites the cases of Olkaria, Eburru, Menengai, Suswa, Longonot, Silali and Paka geothermal areas and discusses the potential challenges in areas where work has not commenced. The paper presents opportunities that the government can intervene on land access challenges in geothermal rich areas and how such interventions can accelerate development of geothermal resources in Kenya. The paper concludes that land is a major resource for any geothermal development and constraints to access to land in geothermal rich areas is one of the major inhibitors to development of geothermal resources in Kenya. |