Land titles are crucial documents that evidence the ownership of a particular piece of land. The constitution of Kenya Article 67 (2c) assigned responsibility to the National Land Commission to enact policies that will see productive use of land and conduct its legal registration, which precedes issuance of land title deeds.
The Land Titles Act provides for the transfer of ownership of land, and this entails steps, among them land search, to establish the real owner of the land and ensure a smooth process while conducting the purchase.
Land search also provides information on pending court cases against the land or outstanding land rates owed to the tax offices of the county in which the land sits.
As an effort to ease the land search process, initially marred by corruption and delays, the land ministry moved all its services online, and members of the public can access land search services online. So how can you do a land search online in Kenya?
How to do an online land title deed search in Kenya
1. Visit https://www.ecitizen.go.ke/ and sign in. Create an account if you are a new user
2. On the e-Citizen account’s dashboard, navigate to the ‘Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning’ menu and click ‘Get Service’
3. Choose the land search option
4. Enter your land title deed number and complete the land search form with the required details
5. Proceed to pay the land search fee of Ksh500 via Mpesa, credit, or debit card
6. Submit
Your application will be processed within three working days, and the results will be available in your e-Citizen portal for download.
How much does a land search cost in Kenya?
A land search costs Ksh500 in Kenya, payable through Mpesa, bank transfers, or credit and debit card upon land search application on the e-Citizen platform.
How long does a title search take in Kenya?
It takes a maximum of 3 days to process a land search application in Kenya. Land search results will then be available for download and printing at the applicant’s e-Citizen portal.
How many names are allowed on a title deed in Kenya?
The Deeds Registry under the Ministry of Lands Kenya allows a maximum of three different addresses to go on the land title deed. Meaning that up to three persons can have joint ownership of a particular piece of land.
In cases where multiple people buy a piece of land, they will register it as a group as their number exceeds the required number in the deed.
