ARDHISASA: THE NATIONAL LAND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
ARDHISASA: THE NATIONAL LAND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
ARDHISASA: THE NATIONAL LAND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Introduction
Under Section 6 of the Land Act (No. 6 of 2012), the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning is mandated to coordinate and manage the National Spatial Data Infrastructure. In fulfilment of this role, the Ministry embarked on developing technologies, policies and putting up the necessary resources to promote the sharing of geospatial data throughout government levels, private and non-profit sectors, and the relevant stakeholders.
To this end, the Cabinet Secretary, in consultation with the National Land Commission and county governments, developed the National Land Information Management System (NLIMS). The system dubbed ‘Ardhi Sasa’ was formally launched on 27th April 2021 by the President of the Republic of Kenya, H.E Uhuru Kenyatta.
System Functionality
Essentially, NLIMS is an information system that enables the capture, management, and analysis of geographically referenced land-related data to produce land information for land administration and management decisions. The system integrates all operations of the Ministry of Lands’ line departments and provides a one-stop-shop where end-to-end transactions in relation to land are conducted.
The system does not change the salient land registration and administration processes as set out in the Land Act, the Land Registration Act, the Survey Act, the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, or the Stamp Duty Act. It only provides an online system that disseminates digital land information and facilitates land administration and registration of dealings in land. The operational and approval processes are automated within the system thus, reducing the human interaction between the internal users and the external users of the system.
The system provides a 24/7 online platform accessible from any data internet connection and any device, including desktops, mobile devices, or tablets, thus ensuring convenience and flexibility while accessing this platform. The system can be accessed by the internal employees of all the line departments of the Ministry and the external users, including members of the public, professionals (Advocates, Quantity Surveyors, and Physical Planners), and other relevant stakeholders, based on the pre-defined access control rules.
Currently, the property records available in the system are those registered under the Nairobi Registry. The Ministry intends to update the system to include properties registered at the Central Registry (covering the Government Lands and the Land Titles Registries) and subsequently registries in other counties in Kenya.
It is worth noting that currently, not all types of land records are in the system. The system as structured only identifies properties with geospatial data. Therefore, sectional properties, such as apartments, flats are not in the system. Nevertheless, at the property owner’s request, the properties of this nature can be surveyed and fed into the system.
The system shall NOT provide for the following categories of properties: –
- Properties with incomplete data records, e.g., records that lack documentation showing how the proprietor came to own the property, e.g., letters of allotment or transfers and;
- Properties recognized as public land and captured on the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Illegal and Irregular Allocation of Land (Ndung’u Report) and the Revocation Gazette Notice No. 6862.
Services offered on Ardhisasa
The services offered on this system include: –
- Land registration services- these include registration of cautions, charges, leases, certificates of title/ leases, replacement of titles, restrictions, searches, assessment for stamp duty, and transfers;
- Land administration services- this includes processes such as subdivision, extension of leases, change of user, consents, lease preparation, the extension of user, and renewal of leases;
- Physical planning services- this includes approval of part development plans, plan preparation, and issuance of certificates of compliance;
- Survey and mapping services such as subdivision, amalgamation, new grants, re-survey, surveying of sectional properties, extension of leases, and change of user;
- Valuation services – asset valuation, government leasing, government purchase, estate administration, and arbitration;
- Adjudication & settlement of land
- Land allocation services by the National Land Commission
Registration of an Account with Ardhisasa
To access the services offered on the system, one must hold an account with Ardhisasa. The registration of an account can be done on the Ardhisasa website free of charge. During registration, the applicants shall be verified and approved by the Registrar of persons and the companies’ registry.
The system provides for the registration of three types of accounts; –
- Individual user Account:
Natural Kenyan citizens are required to register individual user accounts. To register an account, one should have their National Identification Card Serial Number and the ID Number, a working email address, passport-sized photo (with white background), and an active phone number. (It is important to note that at the moment, only Kenyan Citizens can register an account.)
- Company User Account:
Private limited liability companies are required to register company accounts. To register a Company account, one should have the Company’s Company registration number, official and active company mobile number (registered using a director’s ID number), company email address, and passport-sized photo(s) of the directors (with white background).
- Professional User Account
The individual user account provides a separate interface that enables professionals such as Advocates, Registered Physical Planners, and Registered Quantity Surveyors to upgrade their account to a professional user account. To register a professional user account, one must first have an individual user account, be a member of good standing to the relevant professional body that governs his/her profession and have copies of the requisite documentation. The upgrade to a professional account shall enable the professionals to initiate specialized services on behalf of their clients.
Conclusion
The launch of the Ardhisasa brings forth a new dawn to the land administration and registration processes in Kenya. It ushers in an online system of updated and automated land records replacing the manual system of administration, registration, and management of land records in Kenya and consequently integrating all the Ministry of Lands departments. It aspires to provide straightforward and seamless workflows between the various institutions, government agencies, the public, and stakeholders and ensure efficiency and improved delivery of services to Kenyans.
Please contact us on email via info@knjenga.co.ke for any clarification and assistance on the above.