Lands Ministry decries Sh317.7 million budget cut, warns of setbacks in digitisation
By Lucy Mumbi |
Lands officals say the reduced budget would only allow the ministry to fully digitise Mombasa Island and scan records for Mombasa Mainland.
The Ministry of Lands has raised concerns over a Sh317.7 million budget cut, warning that it could hamper the digitisation of land records in key regions.
With the allocation reduced from Sh447.7 million to Sh130 million in the 2024/25 financial year, the ministry says the funds are insufficient to complete planned activities, including digitising registries in Mombasa, Baringo, and West Pokot counties.
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The Ministry has now called on Parliament to increase the budget to sustain progress and ensure improved access to land records.
Lands Secretary Sarah Maina, speaking on behalf of Principal Secretary Nixon Korir during a meeting with MPs in Mombasa, revealed that the reduced budget would only allow the ministry to fully digitise Mombasa Island and scan records for Mombasa Mainland.
"The Mombasa Land Registry consists of Mombasa Island and Mainland. Digitisation began in late May 2024, but progress has been hindered by the limited budget," she said.
Maina highlighted that significant progress had already been made in sorting, organising, batching, and scanning 14,902 land registration records, 10,839 land administration records, and 25,434 yellow, green, and white cards.
However, she noted that sustaining this momentum would be difficult without adequate funding.
The ministry has appealed to Parliament to consider restoring or increasing the allocation, stressing that the initiative is critical for improving land administration and access to records in the targeted areas.
Timeline extended
Land Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome had indicated that the full digitisation of land-related records could take an additional five years to complete.
Speaking during her vetting by MPs, Wahome explained that the exercise, which began in 2018, is a labour-intensive process involving the validation and manual verification of records across various departments.
She noted that the project would cost the government an estimated Sh35 billion to Sh40 billion to fully implement. She also highlighted the ministry's collaboration with 27 counties to ensure the initiative progresses efficiently.
The digitisation effort is a government-led initiative undertaken by the Ministry of Lands in consultation with key stakeholders in the real estate sector.
The goal is to transition from manual land registers to a digital database to improve access, reliability, and security of land-related information.
The process is anchored in the Land Registration Act No. 3 of 2012, which mandates land registrars to maintain secure and accessible records, including electronic files.
Additionally, the Land Registration (Electronic Transactions) Regulations, 2020, provide a legal framework for the digitisation and electronic management of land records.
The ministry said it remains committed to the project despite financial challenges, emphasising the critical role digitisation plays in modernising land administration and addressing issues of accessibility and transparency.
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