What Taita Resources Community Center Does….
Our Work
- Communal Land Rights
- Conservation and Climatic change
- Responsible investment on communal land
- Legal , Policy and Advocacy
- Governance
- Registration of Community Land
- Livelihoods and Humanitarian Support
- Gender Issues
The Core Mandate of Tarcc
Taita Resource Centre mainly seeks to address needs and challenges affecting grassroots indigenous and local communities and cumulatively works to better the welfare of these communities and the natural environment. Its delivery strategies include: advocacy; cooperation, sensitization; education and training; capacity building; facilitating problem-solving; and, empowerment. Key in its intervention efforts, is multi-level collaborations and partnerships that continuous engage main stakeholders and actors of interests in its works. Under this proposed project, it has partnered with like-minded leaders of communities and community organizations across other coastal Counties to advance the land rights agenda in the region.
Stakeholders
Under the CLAN! LTF land project, TARCC is partnering with a total of 12 communities in the Coastal region; ranches, forest and settled communities across the Coastal region of Kenya. These are Sanye and Awer in Lamu County, Milalulu in Tana River County, Gede and Mtsara Wa Tsatsu in Kilifi county, Mwereni and Gumbato in Kwale county, Miasenyi, Mramba, Mgeno, Kasigau and Chawia/Mkuki (Chawuse) in Taita Taveta county.
Activities Under Tarcc
- FREE PRIOR AND INFORMED CONSENT (FPIC): These activities took place in the all the 12 communities of the coastal region of Kenya. These formed the basis of all the activities that TARC has undertaken since the inception of the project in January 2023
- COMMUNITY CONSULTATION MEETINGS: In addition to FPIC meetings, consultation meetings bringing together community members, leaders, opinion shapers, Ministry of lands officials, county government officials and national government administrative officials were held. These were important in laying strategies and approaches to the myriad of issues to be tackled at community level.
- MAKING OF COMMUNITY CONSTITUTIONS /REGISTERS: These were successfully done in 6 communities of the 12 that TARCC is working with. Prior to the drafts of the said constitutions being adopted by the community members, the contents of the said were exhaustively deliberated during the consultative meetings. After the passage of the constitutions, the register of community members were then prepared as per the Community Land Act regulations. Copies of the same are available at TARCC’s offices.
- CLMC ELECTIONS: These were conducted successfully after the constitution and registers were made and adopted; the exercises were conducted by the respective Community Land registrars assisted by officials from county governments and national government administrative officers. Process ongoing in other communities (NB; this is one of the most challenging exercise undertaken by TARCC; Mramba case already in court)
- LAND USE PLAN MAKING : This is a requirement of the law.This has only happened on one community namely , Chawia Mkuki (Chawuse) . Firstly, the Chawuse community expressed the desire to reclaim their ancestral land after the expiry of the 45 year lease held by one late Brigadier Oliver Mkungusi. The community filed a petition through Taita Taveta County Assembly which subsequently adopted it. The County government then took it up via an application to the National Land Commission to enable conversion of the 6,000 acre piece of land. After receipt of the application, the NLC Notice Of Intention was published by the CG of Taita Taveta last February i.e. Feb 28th 2023 thereby kickstarting the process which involves both surveying and planning. The community sought the expertise of a Geophic Company Nrb to do the work. The process began by TARCC undertaking 5 large community meetings in Chawia ward attended by the surveyors, planners, elders, NGAO’s, CG Lands officials, CLMC members, elected leaders among others in late November 2023. A topographical survey followed in mid January 2024 and the community is awaiting the finalization of the report/plan before it is submitted to CG Lands dept for approval and later to National Land Commission for issuance of Letter Of Allotment. The NLC Commissioners are scheduled to make a site visit later this May 2025 before the Title is issued
Map of Targeted Areas Under Tarcc in Taita Taveta
Map of Presence in Coast Province
