Planning on buying land in Kenya? Well, the first thing that you ought to do right after getting your money is to conduct a search on the land that you intend to buy. Land search is important when planning to buy land because it gives the potential buyer complete details about the land like the location of the land, history of land ownership, clearance status of the land, size of the land, and claims that have been made on that land.
Depending on your preference, you could choose to do the land search manually or online. The best accurate method is the online method that requires the buyer to check the land information on the Ardisasa portal. Do not know how to do so? This article will show you a step-by-step guide on how to conduct a land search in Kenya.
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How to do a Land Search Online?
The Ministry of Lands has been digitizing all the land records in Kenya. Ardhisasa is the right platform for anyone looking to access any land services from the Ministry of Lands. You can access these services anywhere and instantly unlike the old days when you had to do this manually by physically visiting the offices. The essence of the platform is to speed up land transactions and enable Kenyan citizens to access all services offered by the lands ministry which include performing land searches. This also cuts off brokers who have been fleecing people in the guise of helping them to do a land search at the various land offices.
Related: How to Pay for Land Rent on Ardhisasa
What is Ardhisasa Land Search?
A land search is an exploration done to find out the ownership details of a property and what else has been registered on that property. One must hold an account with Ardhisasa to access the services on the system. The registration of an account is done for free on the Ardhisasa website. The applicants are verified and approved by the Registrar of persons and companies’ registry during registration. The Ardhisasa provides details like;
- Location of the land.
- History of land ownership.
- Clearance status of the land.
- Size of the land.
- Occurring Claims on that land.
How do you do a Land Search on Ardhisasa?
1. Navigate to the Ardhisasa website.
2. Log into your Ardhisasa account using your ID number and the password that you registered with, an OTP code will be sent to your registered mobile. If you haven’t registered an account with Ardhisasa, click here to get started with creating an account.
3. Once the dashboard loads, click on Services on the left-hand side of your screen.
4. Click on the “Search” option under “Land Registration.”
5. On the new page click on “New Application.”
6. Under “Search Details” enter the “Parcel Number” and click “Add Parcel.” Ensure that you have the correct title number or parcel number.
7. Enter the purpose for the search in the “Search Box.”
8. Select the scope of search which is either particulars of the subsisting entries in the register or particulars noted on the Property section / Proprietorship section / Power of attorney register / Registered documents register. Click “Next” to proceed.
9. Confirm details and click on “Submit.”
Quick Note: For you to get your search results, The owner of the property must be registered in the Ardhisasa system and the property in question has to be detailed added under the “My Property” section where he/she must verify to authorize the system to generate search results. You will receive a notification on your phone once the owner of the property has authorized the search, you will be able now to download your application.
Let’s say the online method has served you right. Then switch to the manual method.
To conduct a Land search manually in Kenya;
- Go to the nearest Land offices in your area.
- Request land search services. You will be issued a land search form. Fill in all the required information then submit the form with attachments like a KRA PIN, a copy of your land title, and a copy of your National ID.
- Pay Kshs 500 and wait for the confirmation message on your device.
- Shortly thereafter, you will get the results from the land search.