Ardhi Sasa is an online platform launched on April 27, 2021, by the Cabinet Secretary in collaboration with the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning (MoLLP) and National Land Commission (NLC). It serves as a centralized hub for citizens and stakeholders to access and interact with land information and processes undertaken by the Government. The platform integrates all Ministry of Lands operations, offering a convenient one-stop-shop for end-to-end land transactions and aims to streamline land-related processes and enhance accessibility for citizens.

Purpose of Ardhi Sasa:

Ardhi Sasa does not alter existing land registration and administration procedures stipulated by various laws such as the Land Act, Land Registration Act, Survey Act, Physical Planning Act, and Land Use Planning Act. Instead, it provides a user-friendly platform to facilitate land transactions and minimize human interaction between internal and external users. Initially, the system covers property records from the Nairobi Registry, with plans to expand to include properties registered at the Central Registry and other counties.

The adoption of Ardhi Sasa aims to:

• Eliminate the need for physical visits to public offices and reduce queues.
• Expedite land transactions across the country.
• Combat fraud by regularizing land records.
• Improve efficiency in land management and administration.

Limitations of Ardhi Sasa:

The system currently only includes properties with geospatial data, excluding sectional properties like apartments.
Properties with incomplete records, such as missing letters of allotment or transfers, are not integrated into the system.
Public land and properties mentioned in the Ndungu Report are not covered.
Challenges in Adopting Ardhi Sasa:

• Limited digital literacy among some Kenyans.
• Inadequate internet infrastructure in certain regions.
• Restrictions on obtaining searches without the owner’s consent.

Types of Accounts:

Individual User Account: For natural citizens with valid identification documents.
Professional User Account: Reserved for registered professionals in specific fields.
Company User Account: Available to private limited liability companies.

Services Offered by Ardhi Sasa

• Land Registration Services: Including registration of charges, leases, restrictions, certificates, replacements, searches, stamp duty assessment, and transfers.
• Land Administration Services: Covering lease extensions, change of user, subdivision, lease preparation, and renewal.
• Physical Planning Services: Providing plan preparation and certificate of compliance issuance.
• Survey and Mapping Services: Encompassing subdivision and amalgamation.
• Valuation Services: Facilitating search documents for valuation purposes.
• Land Allocation Services: Administered by the National Land Commission.

CONVERSION OF TITLES:

Conversion refers to the statutory process of migrating and harmonizing land records from old statutes to new land laws. The Ministry of Lands mandates the conversion of titles under repealed laws to align with current regulations, aiming to standardize the registration system and eliminate irregularly acquired titles. The process involves closing the old register and opening a new one, with over 30 gazette notices issued listing titles for conversion. Advocates typically handle the conversion process, which may incur fees ranging from Kshs.50,000 to Kshs.200,000 and take between two to eight weeks to complete.