CS: Changes in land transaction rules coming

Lands CS Farida Karoney addressing a stakeholders forum on registering property and Ease of Doing Business at Sarova Panafaric Hotel, Nairobi. [James Wanzala/Standard]

Lands Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney has said, from July, all land transactions will be handled at county and sub-county level.

Ms Karoney (pictured) said the ministry's plan to close the Central Land Registry in Nairobi, this financial year, was still on course.

“The Nairobi Registry will serve Nairobi County only. The rest of the files will be transferred to their respective counties and sub-counties,” said Ms Karoney on Wednesday at a meeting in Nairobi.

Karoney also told lawyers who are helping their clients process land documents, to urge them to collect the documents immediately they have been processed.

She said there were many documents lying in land offices uncollected.

Lands Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri said the plan to digitise the processing of land documents would be of great help to the country.

Dr Muraguri said a digital system would promote transparency, and combat fraud during land transactions.

“We are working closely with all players involved to ensure the digital system will have no loopholes. We want it to effectively serve citizens,” said Muraguri.

While commenting on the digital issue, Karoney said the system had been tested and it had been proven that it is possible to register land in Nairobi within 12 days, down from 72.