More than half of Kenyan men aged between 15 and 54 years do not own a house or land, new data by the government has revealed, painting a grim picture of property ownership in the country.

The situation is no different for women: Over half of those aged between 15 and 49 own neither a house nor land. This is a huge hindrance to the country’s and families’ economic development considering that land is a factor of production.

“Access to land and property with secure tenure is central to economic empowerment as it serves as a base for income as well as collateral for credit,” says the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022 published yesterday.

Not owning a house when one is in their late 50s means one would have to pay rent after retirement, a difficult undertaking considering that for most people retirement comes with a reduction in income.

Older men Socially, owning a house or land is regarded as an indication of wealth, with those unable to acquire these status symbols looked down upon.

According to the survey conducted by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, only 47 per cent of men aged 15 to 54 own a house alone or jointly with other people including with their spouses.

A majority of men in that age bracket (53 per cent) do not own a house at all. The rate of house ownership is higher among older men aged 50 to 54 years (88.7 per cent) than among younger ones aged 15 to 49 years (44.6 per cent).

For women, only 32.8 per cent of those aged between 15 and 49 years own a house either individually or jointly with others, including with their spouses, yet a house can be either a secure family dwelling or a source of rental income.

A majority of women in that age bracket (67.2 per cent) do not own a house, meaning they are not economically empowered and remain insecure in the event of divorce or separation.

Homeownership, according to the report, also shields women from other vulnerabilities, including violence and discrimination.

Recognised documents

Of the women who own a house, five per cent said they own it alone while 28 per cent said they own it jointly with other people such as spouses. Interestingly, house ownership was higher among women who are widowed at 65.2 per cent compared to those in marriages/living with their spouses (52.5 per cent) and those who have never been married (1.8 per cent).

Even for women who own houses, few have government-recognised ownership papers, further reducing their ability to leverage on the houses to secure credit.

“Among women who own a house, only nine per cent have a title deed or any other government-recognized document with their name on it, 73 per cent do not have a title deed or any other government-recognized document,” reads the report that also paints a dire picture of the economic straits facing families.

Women in rural areas are more likely to own a house than their counterparts in urban areas, although women in urban areas are much more likely to have a title deed for the house they own compared to their rural counterparts.

Regarding agricultural land, only 33.6 per cent of Kenyan men aged between 15 and 54 years own land individually or jointly with others, including with their marriage partners. The remaining 66.4 per cent do not own any agricultural land at all. The rate of agricultural land ownership is higher among men aged 50 to 54 years (73.3 per cent) than their counterparts aged 15 to 49 years (31.2 per cent).

Agricultural land

Compared to men, agricultural land ownership is lower among women with only 24.8 per cent of those aged 15 to 49 owning land. The remaining 75.2 per cent do not own any agricultural land. Only a paltry three per cent of women own agricultural land individually while 20 per cent own it with their spouse or partner.

Among women, ownership of agricultural land is higher among the widowed at 48.6 per cent compared to married/living together with partner (39.4 per cent) and those who have never married (1.7 per cent). This information comes at a time when a huge section of the country — 23 counties — is food insecure with 5.1 million Kenyans facing starvation as of November 2022.

The new report land ownership plays a key role in empowerment, especially for women. “Ownership and control of land and other assets by women and men enhance their ability to access economic resources at the societal level and confer additional economic value, status and bargaining power at the household level,” it says.

For women in particular, ownership of assets may positively influence their position in their homes. According to the report, only 8.8 per cent of Kenyan men aged 15 to 54 years own non-agricultural land, individually or jointly with others.

The remaining 91.2 per cent do not own any non-agricultural land. The situation is worse for women with only 6.7 per cent of those aged 15 to 49 years owning non-agricultural land either jointly or individually. The remaining 93.3 per cent do not own an