Title Deeds in Kenya: Kenyans who own land or plots with title deeds will now have to apply for fresh title deeds. This comes after the Lands and Physical Planning ministry shifted the administration and management of land to new laws to boost efficiency in transactions and curb fraud.
“All transactions or dealings relating to parcels within the registration unit shall from April 1,2021 be carried out in the new registers,” the ministry said in an announcement. Previously, title deeds were issued under the Registered Land Act (RLA), the Registration of Titles Act (RTA), the Land Titles Act (LTA), and the Government Lands Act (GLA).
The new title deeds will now be handled under the Land Registration Act, 2012. Already, the ministry is conducting a pilot for the migration of the title deeds in Nairobi County. The pilot has earmarked 5,493 parcels for migration.
Title deeds issued under the RLA and RTA are the most common in Kenya. The Registrar of Lands will now new ones to replace them under different numbers.
“The current titles will be cancelled and new ones issued under the new legal regime while retaining the ownership, size and the other interests registered against the respective title,” said Farida Karoney, the cabinet secretary for Lands and Physical Planning.
“Title documents held by third parties, including banks, hospitals, and courts as security at the time of commence Lands ment, shall be replaced upon application by the proprietor. The general public is advised to take note of the converted parcel numbers.”
Ms. Karoney added that the Land ministry will replace the title deed plans and instead use the Registry Index Maps (RIMs) as a reference. “The RIMs display all land parcels within an area as opposed to a deed plan that captures data on one specific parcel. It is thus easy to note any change or alteration,” she said.
A report that appeared in a local daily explained that “the conversion process will entail preparation of cadastral maps together with a conversion list indicating new and old numbers for parcels of land within a registration unit or registration section/ block and their corresponding acreages. The cadastral maps together with a conversion list will be published in the Kenya Gazette and daily newspapers, with the notice specifying when the register shall be open to the public for transactions or dealings within the registration unit.” Title Deeds in Kenya.
