An Application for Recognition of Interest or Claim on Community Land (Form CLA 1) is an official legal document used in Kenya to formalize and register community interests or claims over specific parcels of community land. This jurisdiction-specific form operates under the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning and is governed by Kenya's community land legal framework, including the Community Land Act, 2016. It serves as the primary instrument through which communities, groups, or persons can assert their collective rights and interests in community land before the relevant land registrar.
This form is intended for community groups, indigenous communities, traditional societies, pastoral communities, local residents, community representatives, chairpersons, and their legal advocates who need to secure formal recognition of their community land interests. It is particularly relevant for communities seeking to protect ancestral lands, grazing areas, water catchment zones, forests, cultural sites, burial grounds, or any land traditionally held or used collectively by a defined community. The application is essential for establishing legal ownership and preventing unauthorized alienation, encroachment, or misuse of community resources.
The application requires detailed information about the applicant community, including the name of the person, group, or community making the claim, their registration number if formally registered, postal or email address, and telephone contact details. The form must be signed by the community chairperson or authorized representative, lending official authority to the application. Critically, applicants must attach sketch diagrams, maps, or plans clearly showing the boundaries and extent of the community land being claimed.
The Schedule section requires comprehensive details including serial numbers for each parcel, locality information, approximate area in hectares, and current use of the land such as grazing, farming, settlement, conservation, or cultural purposes. This information helps the registrar properly identify, assess, and process the community's claim. The form includes a section for official use only, where the registrar records administrative details and formally processes the application.
Successfully submitting Form CLA 1 initiates the formal recognition process, enabling communities to secure legal protection for their land rights, participate in land governance, access dispute resolution mechanisms, and benefit from their communal resources within Kenya's evolving land tenure system.