Sort, digitise land records during month-long break

When Land Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney tweeted to inform us that all Land offices and Registries countrywide would be closed for 28 days from March 17 following the corona menace, I retweeted, knowing its importance to the country. But in retweeting, I added: “Take advantage of the month-long break to catch up on backroom processes, particularly those related to the sorting out and digitising of records.” Though necessary, this pronouncement will occasion many professionals in land development, real estate and conveyancing major business setbacks. And the construction and real estate sectors will slow down.

This is the reason I am beginning to get impatient with our delay in putting in place a modern land information management system. We need to digitise all text and map records, create the necessary databases, interlink the maps with parcel ownership details and then computerise our technical processes. It’s not rocket science. But it takes commitment, consistency and hard work. It takes political goodwill, impatience with detractors and a ruthlessness determination to get it done. As for the resources, many partners have been ready to work with Kenya on this. And even without them, Kenya should be able to afford this initiative.