In Kenya today, land information is held mostly in paper form and managed manually. Over the years, land information records have increased to unmanageable proportions, making service delivery ineffective. The current system does not support timely decision making about land.
Most real estate practitioners are looking forward to a day when they can subscribe to national land information network and be able to retrieve information from their offices electronically in real time. The good example set by the automation of services at the Nairobi Stock Exchange should be replicated in the case of land information management. This will unlock the potential of the entire real estate sector and attract injection of more capital into real estate related investments.
The private sector would benefit in very many ways. Assets management decisions would be more informed by availing reliable land information and hence reduction in information related risks. Acquisitions and disposal of assets would be quicker. Processing of credit security would be enhanced; emergency planning and disaster management would be improved thus minimising the impacts and likely losses. Property market analysis would be better informed.
The Government would also reap benefits from the improved information systems in the form of improved support for land and property taxation. This would serve to boost public revenue. The information would further be used to enrich planning at both the national and local levels. Urban centres need redevelopment and effective land –use planning and control.
A good land information system should permit the integration of records of land ownership, land value and land use with sociological, economic and environmental data in support of urban planning. Up-to –date large scale cadastral plans provide the basic framework within which development schemes can be designed and implemented.
The improved land information management systems can be used to record conservation areas and provide details of cultural interests that need to be protected. The information would further be used for environmental management purposes. NEMA would find the information handy in their approval processes and therefore enhance efficiency in their operations.
The distribution of land to the landless, and the consolidation and redistribution of land for more efficient use all require detailed records of the present ownership and use of the land. The state would find the information useful in management and protection of its property thus curbing the menace of grabbing of public assets.
Given the numerous benefits that would accrue from a modern automated national land information system, it would be useful to prioritise its implementation in the same way the e-government project is being prioritised. Maybe the new fibre optic cable network would provide the appropriate vehicle for disseminating the information country wide.
Autor(en)/Author(s): Mwenda Makathimo
Quelle/Source: The Standard, 14.12.2006
