More and more Kenyans see the need to purchase and own land at some point in their lives. Land is a great investment because it always appreciates, and it gives you a certain amount of flexibility that renting or leasing does not. However, buying land can be tricky business especially with the increased amount of conmen in the property sector. That is why it is necessary to carry out a land search online before making any cash transactions. That way, you get to confirm all the details the seller gave you for smart purchasing and general peace of mind. Thanks to the digitization of most governmental services, you no longer have to go through the former agonizing land searching process. Now, you only need a computer and you are good to go. Here is a short guide on how to conduct an online land search in Kenya.
Importance of conducting a land search
Apart from avoiding fraudsters, here are a few reasons/benefits of conducting an online land search.
- You get to learn the history of ownership pertaining to the land you are about to purchase. The list of previous and current owners will be available after the search. Knowing all registered owners helps you make an informed decision of whether to continue the transaction. Knowing the owners is also important in case a legal dispute arises. No one that does not appear as a registered owner can raise any case or question against you if it did come to that.
- The search allows you to get the specific geographical location of the land in question. It will allow you to decide whether the property is ideal for purchase or not.
- Land searching helps you know the clearance status of the land. That means you will get to know whether the land has any pending legal or other disputes in process or if it is clear for purchase.
What you need for the online search
- Working internet connection
- eCitizen account
- KRA pin
- Ksh 550 in your MPESA
- Title deed.
Steps to follow
- Go to your computer and log in to your eCitizen portal.
- Now go through the dashboard options and choose the ‘Ministry of Land and Physical Planning’ tab. In case you did not in put your KRA pin during your first eCitizen registration, the system will ask for it at this point. Make sure to enter it carefully.
- Once successful, the system will take you to the Ministry of Land portal. In the new page, choose the ‘land search’ option.
- Now enter the land title number as per the title deed and fill the form that immediately follows.
- After finishing, click ‘next’ and proceed to the payment part. Choose MPESA and follow the instructions carefully. Make sure to double check the business and account numbers.
- With successful payment, eCitizen will redirect you to the land search results page. Here you can read through all the available details. In case you want physical copies, you can choose the ‘print results’ options. Otherwise, you can always log in to your eCitizen account to access them.
