In a move that has ignited controversy and drawn sharp criticism from various quarters, Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo has formally petitioned the Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development, Alice Wahome, seeking the revocation of two community land registration certificates that were lawfully issued to the Chari and Cherab communities in Isiolo County.
In a letter dated March 20, 2025, Senator Dullo alleges that the issuance of Registration Certificate Nos. ISC001 and ISC002 violated provisions of the Community Land Act, 2016.
She claims the process lacked transparency, was conducted without public participation, and deliberately excluded key stakeholders, including elected leaders—herself in particular.
“The process was marred with secrecy and non-involvement of key stakeholders,” the Senator asserts in her letter, raising concerns about her apparent exclusion rather than the substance of the community’s rights to their ancestral lands.
According to the Senator, she was only made aware of the issuance of the certificates on February 28, 2025—nearly two months after the process had been concluded—during a stakeholder meeting attended by representatives from the Ministry of Lands, the National Land Commission (NLC), and the Isiolo County Government.
Citing Article 10 of the Constitution of Kenya and Section 8 of the Community Land Act, Senator Dullo has called for the immediate revocation of the two certificates and a blanket halt to all community land adjudication processes in Isiolo County.
She further demands that no future registration be undertaken without her office’s direct involvement.
Her letter, officially received by the Ministry of Lands according to a reliable source, has been widely interpreted as an attempt to derail the long-overdue recognition of communal land ownership in the region—an issue that has remained contentious for decades due to historical land injustices and political interference.
Critics have accused Senator Dullo of politicizing the process and undermining the constitutional rights of marginalized pastoralist communities in Isiolo.
Many local leaders and land rights advocates see her intervention as a regressive maneuver aimed at reasserting political control over land governance in the county, rather than promoting transparency or due process.
“Senator Dullo’s sudden objection is suspicious, especially considering that the process involved consultations with multiple agencies and stakeholders,” one community leader, speaking anonymously, told Nagaa Radio. “This is about power—not procedure.”
Observers note that the Senator’s belated concern over the registration certificates raises questions about her motivations, especially given the historical neglect and political marginalization experienced by the Chari and Cherab communities.
Her insistence that all processes pause until her office is fully consulted has been interpreted by some as a veiled attempt to centralize land decisions around her political office.
The Community Land Act, 2016, was enacted to empower communities to claim and manage land they have historically occupied.
The registration certificates in question are considered a landmark step in ensuring communal land rights and preventing land grabbing in arid and semi-arid regions like Isiolo.
Despite Senator Dullo’s petition, community leaders and civil society groups remain steadfast in their support for the process and are calling on the Ministry of Lands and NLC to uphold the rights already granted.
With additional reporting from Nagaa Radio, Isiolo, Kenya.
Share This Post