Digital land system billed to secure records, kick out fraudsters
The launch of a new digital land platform is poised to give hope to many Kenyans who have felt it rough when it comes to anything land transactions.
The new system, dubbed ArdhiSasa, which was developed by a team of Kenyan techies over a three-year period is designed to enhance the security of land records, speed up land transactions, and above all curb fraud.
In his address when he unveiled the platform at the National Geospatial Data Centre in Nairobi, President Uhuru Kenyatta said that the platform will protect people from exploitation by cartels, middlemen, and fraudsters.
“With the advent of ArdhiSasa, missing files, perennial fraud, corruption, and illegal land transactions will be a matter of the past.
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President Kenyatta welcomed the full digitization of the Nairobi lands registry, saying the exercise will be extended to the rest of the country in a phased, gradual manner adding that the full roll-out of the program will facilitate the resolution of historical land disputes and guarantee the security of title deeds, true to the clarion Shamba Lako, Hati Safi (your land, genuine title).
“Another 20 counties will be on-boarded into the digital system by the end of the year. We project that all the counties will be covered by the end of 2022,” he said.
With the advent of ArdhiSasa, missing files, perennial fraud, corruption, and illegal land transactions will be a matter of the past, Mr Kenyatta added.
In the new system, a digital cadastral map of Nairobi as well as of the whole country will now be made available on the ArdhiSasa website with a clear distinction of public and private property.
The Head of State also commended the team of young Kenyans, who for the last three years worked to build and deploy a world-class system at a fraction of the cost previously used to finance unsuccessful attempts at digitization.
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“Your place of honor in the annals of our history is guaranteed and your contribution to moving the nation forward is immortalized through the work of your hands.
“You have demonstrated once again that we can rely on home-grown solutions to develop our country; and underscored the cost-effectiveness of working together as one indivisible Government of Kenya,” President Kenyatta honored the tech gurus.
Lands Cabinet Secretary said the digital platform will offer a one-stop shop for all Government services and information on land.
Lands PS, Dr Nicholas Muraguri, said the platform will enable Kenyans to initiate and track land transactions from the comfort of their homes or offices using mobile phones or computers.
