Lands ministry to digitise records, says Charity Ngilu

September By JAMES MBAKA 

Kenyans will soon access information on land matters from the comfort of their homes through a new mobile technology that will replace the current green card system The digitalisation plan is expected to replace files and long queues that characterise the Lands Registry. The current system has fuelled corruption and delays in land transactions. Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu said the ministry is in the process of computerising all information relating to land matters to ensure efficient, timely and effective access to information. “I must admit that all has not been well at the Lands ministry because of cartels, which engage in shady deals that have defrauded Kenyans of millions of shillings.

That will soon end once we digitise all records,” said Ngilu She said the Government is committed to giving all Kenyans a chance to own land but regretted that currently, only 20 per cent of over 8.9 million households have title deeds, with the ability to use land as a factor of production. She said the Government’s aim is to issue between 2.5 to 3 million title deeds to Kenyans before the next General Election and laughed off the political tag that has been associated with the issuance of title deeds at the Coast. “The Ministry of Lands will continue to do its work and it will be no business as usual under my watch,” Ngilu said. Renew leases The CORD brigade led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga criticised the president-led initiative to issue out 60,000 title deeds to thousands of squatters in the Coastal region saying the move was a political gimmick. Jubilee leaders have dismissed their critics saying that the Government wants to solve land problems once and for all. Ngilu further said the Government will not renew leases for idle land owners unless they immediately provide investment plans. This, she said, is expected to give other people an opportunity to own land, especially at the Coast which is highly populated with squatters.

 Speaking after President Kenyatta ordered an extensive land survey and auditing of title deeds at the Coast, Ngilu said the ministry will embark on the exercise soon. “We want to know who owns land and where so that we have no situation where a few people own big chunks of land while the masses do not have any,” said Ngilu at the weekend.