The State Department for Lands and Physical planning is set to roll out the land digitization program in Machakos county. The digitization process will begin with four areas – Mavoko blocks, Syokimau, Athi River and Machakos Township – before proceeding to the rest.
Meanwhile the department has started digitizing the Isiolo Lands registry and is nearing completion of the same process in Murang’a county. This is according to an announcement by the State Department on 13th, March, 2024.
Ambitious Plan
The digitization of land records began in 2019 with an ambitious plan to digitize all land registries across the country by 2021. However, the Ardhi Sasa platform which took the digitization process to another level was launched in April 2021. The platform was created to digitize all land transactions processes beyond the initial digitization which only involved digital land searches.
The main aim was to improve service delivery in land transactions while curbing corruption in registries by reducing interactions between lands officers and the public. The process would also deal with issues such as loss of documents, double titling, land fraud and other issues.
Digitization Backlog
Despite the noble thoughts behind the Ardhi Sasa roll out, the platform faced a number of technical issues causing a serious backlog. Land transactions would take months or even years, causing serious inconveniences to land owners. Users struggled to complete transactions and others could not successfully have their properties charged by banks, as they sought loans.
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In January 2023, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) held protests and presented a petition to the Lands Department, requesting for pending issues to be resolved. The petition led to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between LSK and the Lands Department. The Ardhi Sasa user experience has since improved gradually.
Troubled Mavoko
The roll-out to other counties is a major step toward improving transparency in land transactions and records. Mavoko Blocks are synonymous with land fraud. In October last year, a series of devastating demolitions at East Africa Portland Cement land in Mavoko, left the country shocked as thousands were left homeless. In 2011, Syokimau residents also experienced the shock of their lives when the government demolished posh houses after it was discovered that part of the land they sat on, belonged to the nearby Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Mavoko Town/Block 3 is also not new to controversy and legal issues. The block has had multiple mentions in court as unsuspecting buyers keep falling for fraudsters’ traps. Digitizing records in these locations will go a long way in protecting the public.
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