A land search is the first check before you buy land, a house or an apartment in Kenya. It shows who the Ministry of Lands has registered as the owner, and whether there are loans, cautions or restrictions on the title. For Nairobi it is done online on Ardhisasa, and costs KES 500.
What you need
- An Ardhisasa account. Register at ardhisasa.lands.go.ke with your ID or passport and KRA PIN.
- The title or parcel number, from a copy of the title deed. Ask the seller for it; a seller who will not share it is a red flag.
Step by step
- Log in to Ardhisasa.
- Choose Land search and then Official search.
- Enter the parcel or title number, and the purpose of the search.
- Pay KES 500 by M-Pesa or card.
- Download the search certificate when it is ready.
Ardhisasa covers Nairobi and has been extended to Kiambu and Murang’a. For land elsewhere, the search is still made at the county land registry.
Reading the result
The search certificate shows:
- The registered owner. It must match the person selling, and their ID.
- The size and description of the land.
- Encumbrances - charges (loans), cautions, restrictions and inhibitions. A loan must be paid off and discharged before transfer. A caution or restriction means someone else has claimed an interest; do not proceed until it is removed.
Red flags
- The owner on the search is not the seller, or the seller is “acting for” a relative without a registered power of attorney.
- A caution, restriction or court order on the title.
- Pressure to pay quickly or to pay into a personal account.
- Several people claiming to sell the same plot.
A search is not enough
A clean search is necessary but does not prove everything. Also:
- Visit the land and speak to neighbours about who owns it.
- Check the boundaries on the survey map, with a surveyor if in doubt.
- Check land rates are paid, with a rates clearance from the county. See County services.
- Instruct your own advocate, who will repeat the search just before completion, when the money changes hands.