In this 7-minute video, Janet Kiptanui of the Endorois Community speaks about how the Kenyan government in the 1970s evicted hundreds of Endorois families from their traditional lands around the Lake Bogoria area in the Rift Valley, to create a game reserve for tourism. Failing to obtain remedy at the national level, the Endorois, an indigenous people, filed a complaint against Kenyan government alleging violations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter). This case marks the first time the African Commission has recognized indigenous peoples’ rights over traditionally owned land and their right to development under the African Charter. The decision is commendable because the Commission emphasizes the African Charter’s protection for collective claims to land rights by indigenous communities.
Endorois Community Land Rights – Endorois Welfare Council v. Kenya
