Process Cartels Exploit to Steal Land From Govt System

The ongoing digitization of land records in Kenya, as revealed by the Cabinet Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning Alice Wahome, marks a significant step in transforming the country’s land management. The Ministry’s initiative to streamline and secure land records through digitization aims to curb the widespread fraud that has plagued the real estate market for years. With a budget of Ksh 35 billion, this project is ambitious yet necessary, given the numerous cases of fraudulent land transactions where Kenyans have been duped into losing their money or property.

The success of digitizing records in Nairobi and Murang’a counties offers a glimpse of the potential impact of the project nationwide. As the process is rolled out in counties like Marsabit and Isiolo, it is expected to bring order and transparency to the system, reducing the ability of cartels to manipulate physical land records. The issue of “lost files” in the Ministry of Lands has long been a loophole that fraudulent actors have exploited, often in collusion with rogue ministry officials. By digitizing records, the Ministry aims to eliminate this avenue for corruption, ensuring that all records are secure and easily verifiable online.

CS Wahome’s push to have the process completed within five years, provided the Ministry receives the necessary funding, reflects a clear commitment to bringing long-overdue reforms to the Lands Ministry. As of now, the Ministry has already integrated 96% of its services onto the eCitizen platform, a sign of the progress made towards enhancing service delivery.

The digitization of land records will not only safeguard property rights but also boost investor confidence in Kenya’s real estate market. Land, being a critical asset, requires an efficient and transparent management system. By issuing 280,000 title deeds and upgrading key land registries in 2024/2025, the government is positioning itself to address longstanding challenges while promoting equitable access to land.

This move could also play a vital role in reducing land disputes and accelerating the processing of land-related transactions, which have been hampered by inefficiencies in the past. The digitization process should encourage public participation and ensure the records remain easily accessible to the rightful landowners.

If this initiative is fully realized, it will mark a transformative era in Kenya’s land management, fostering trust, fairness, and efficiency in land transactions across the country.