Abstract

Rural life and land in developing countries are inseparable. The value attached to land is so strong to extent that everyone wants to own land. The appetite for land has resulted in uncontrolled and untenable land sub-divisions in most parts of Kenya a phenomenon that is currently driving most  households into a state of food insecurity and misery. However, how social value attached to land is influencing land sub-division in rural areas remains scanty in the scholarly domain. This paper explores the social meaning that people in Nyamira North Sub County, Kenya attach to land and how such social meaning influences land sub-division. Based on the findings, the paper gives policy  recommendations on how to slow down the practice of land sub-division to foster sustainable rural development.

Keywords: Land, Social meaning of land, Land sub-division