The Central Land Registry was permanently closed last year to allow for the digitalization of land data but is now scheduled to reopen at the end of July on the ArdhiSasa National Land Management System (NLIMS). It was planned to migrate 84,000 land parcels to the Land Registration Act 2012, 64,000 of which had already reached maturity.
Time frame
The statute specifies a grace period of 90 days before closing the register and switching to the new one. Before the second registry in Nairobi goes live 64,000 are now being processed. The transition is a step in the process of removing all parcels from the purview of the legislation that has been abolished to bring them under the 2012 Land Registration Act.
To streamline property registration and increase transparency in land administration and management, President Uhuru Kenyatta unveiled the National Lands Information Management System (NLIMS) and launched the digitalization on April 27, 2021.
According to experts, Kenya’s move toward digitizing land administration is in line with the National Land Policy of 2009, which urges the consolidation, harmonization, and simplification of all registration legislation for clarity and the elimination of administrative red tape.
Only 19,000 land parcels were on the ArdhiSasa platform when the Nairobi Registry went live a year ago, but this number is expected to rise to 60,000 when Kenya launches the Central Registry in July.
This new development comes after a previous announcement that all land titles registered under earlier laws, such as the Indian Transfer of Property Act of 1882, the Government Lands Act (Cap. 280), the Registration of Titles Act (Cap. 281), the Land Titles Act (Cap. 282), and the Registered Land Act, would soon be replaced (Cap.300).
Importance of the system
Although the Ministry’s rigorous data interrogation and verification methodology has angered some members of the public, it was crucial to guarantee the correctness, integrity, and comprehensiveness of the information given on the system.
We have skewed our data over time, which is why it takes so long to separate the wheat from the chaff. Customers regularly claim that the system isn’t working, although the issue is typically caused by either inadequate, inaccurate, or illegally acquired data about the customer’s property parcel.
The change was essential to ensuring effectiveness, accountability, and justice in the administration of records and transactional services in the land sector. The cadastre is one of the crucial services provided by this system. Our land must be geo-referenced by the land registration laws. Coordinates that identify the location of a land parcel are needed for this.
Nairobi Metropolitan Service
Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) and the ministry of Land are collaborating closely to finish the exercise in Nairobi before the start of the following fiscal year.
Citizens would be able to complete numerous land transactions with the touch of a button, thereby decreasing the need for human interaction, delays, and other hassles that Kenyans have had to deal with.
The most notable aspect of the new system is that searches will be conducted in real-time, which will address a significant issue in property purchases.
Additionally, those conducting searches will be able to view a map showing the property’s location, ownership, dimensions, and historical information.
The current method, which is being phased out, uses middlemen and is not only cumbersome but also extremely frustrating. If you do not use “brokers,” a search on the old system could take up to two weeks or even longer.
How it works
With the introduction of the new system, a digital cadastral map of the country will be made available online at Ardhi Sasa with clear lines separating public and private assets, starting with a map of Nairobi.
For the first time, Kenyans will search for apartments and other sectional properties. An extensive list of all the properties in a specific geographic area can be found on a cadastral map.
Cadastral records include ownership information, and a property’s precise location, including coordinates, size, and use.
Ardhi Sasa was built domestically by a team of young Kenyan techies over three years under a multi-agency government arrangement championed by President Kenyatta.
Kenyans to expect better services when buying land