Bridging Cross-Scale Science–Policy Interfaces for Coherent Land-Use Governance: Knowledge Co-Production and Uptake in Kenya's Polycentric System

Abstract

Land is fundamental to livelihoods and ecosystem health but faces mounting pressure from human activities, climate change, and competing development demands. Science–policy interfaces (SPIs)—platforms that connect experts and policymakers—are vital for co-producing knowledge to inform coherent, sustainable land-use governance. Yet, limited understanding exists of how global and national SPIs interact in Africa, particularly in Kenya, where biodiversity conservation, agricultural expansion, and other competing land uses generate complex trade-offs. This study examines how knowledge on land issues is co-produced and exchanged within Kenya's polycentric system and explores the influence of global and national SPIs on Kenyan land policies. Based on 25 semi-structured interviews with government officials, researchers, and global SPI authors, the study maps Kenya's SPI network on land issues and analyzes its interaction forms, influence, enablers, and barriers. Findings reveal an active but fragmented SPI landscape, where diverse expert organizations generate evidence, build capacity, and translate global assessments into locally relevant knowledge, influencing national and county policies on climate adaptation, agroecology, biodiversity, and sustainable land management. Formal mechanisms like multi-stakeholder platforms coexist with informal exchanges and personal networks that help bridge gaps in trust and institutional silos. However, uptake of global assessments remains limited, constrained by misaligned priorities, weak brokering, governance fragmentation, and evidence politicization. The paper recommends trust-based relationships between experts and technical government actors, enhancing brokering capacities, inclusive co-production with local communities, and better contextualization of global science. Kenya's devolved governance and local expertise offer promising polycentric pathways for coherent land-use governance.