Nairobi — The National Land Commission (NLC) is seeking additional budgetary allocation to facilitate the digitization of over 30 million land-related records through the Ardhisasa System.
In a meeting with the National Assembly Committee on Lands, the Commission’s Chief Executive Officer Kabale Tache cited adequate budgetary constraints as a major roadblock towards achieving 100 percent digitization of public land in the country.
“We have plans to achieve a seamless system by digitizing 30,000,000 million land-related records through the Ardhidsasa system. However we need further funding to actualize this,” NLC CEO Tache said.
Regarding funding, NLC Commissioner, Kazungu Kambi emphasized the constitutional agency is keen to roll out alternative areas for revenue generation as it seeks to reduce overreliance on Treasury funds.
The NLC boss revealed that only three counties are currently connected to this system, indicating the need for accelerated implementation.
The Committee led by Joash Nyamoko (North Mugirango) toured the NLC officers where they inspected the ICT infrastructure at the Headquarters in Upperhill.
Lawmakers reviewed NLC’s digital transformation which includes the creation of a Digital Public Land Inventory Database which is expected to enhance the agency’s ability to manage land resources and facilitate seamless data sharing and real-time data transfer among 17 counties.
“As the custodian of public land, how many public land records do you have? Do you have the physical records of public land?” The House Committee chairman queried.
According to documents scrutinized by the Committee, NLC is in the process of implementing a robust legal management system and digitizing over 5 million legal records, which centralizes legal documents, streamlines case management, and addresses historical land injustices.
During the inspection, Rachel Nyamai (Kitui Central) also raised critical questions about the NLC’s progress, in extending digital management services to cover all 47 counties to protect public land.
Paul Katana (Kaloleni) similarly inquired about the management of parcels of land that have been compulsorily acquired but are not yet documented in the NLC’s records.
The Land Commission through CEO Tache and Commissioner Kambi assured the MPs of the Agency’s commitment to resolving land acquisition issues related to government projects and highlighted the importance of adhering to legal procedures.
Legislators underscored the necessity of adhering to the law regarding land acquisition by the National Lands Commission and Government entities acquiring land for projects, especially when funding is limited.