The State Department for Lands and Physical Planning has recently rolled out online valuation process for stamp duty assessment through the Ardhisasa platform specifically via its Ardhi pay module. This move is part of the broader National Land Information Management System (NLIMS) designed to enhance transparency, efficiency, and convenience in land administration.
The Process
To initiate the valuation process, property owners or their agents must log into the Ardhisasa portal and initiate a new application. This involves populating the following details.
a. parcel details
b. registry details
c. the category/ process e.g charge, transfer, discharge,
d. assessed stamp duty amount and exchange rate
e. transferor’s ardhisasa ID; and
f. transferee details ardhisasa ID.
Thereafter, the property owner/agent uploads relevant supporting documents, including the title documents, sale agreement, transfer, national IDs KRA PIN Certificates for both the transferor and transferee, Land control board consents (if applicable), official search, spousal consent and Registry Index Map (if applicable).
Upon submitting the application, the application proceeds to the Land Registrar at the designated Registry who progresses the application to the Valuer.
The Valuer makes arrangements with the property owner and/or agent for a site visit to the Property. Upon conducting a site visit, the Valuer proceeds to approve and issue a valuation report. Consequently, the system generates a Valuation Certificate, showing the valuation amount and the stamp duty payable. An invoice for payment of the stamp duty amount is also generated alongside the valuation certificate.
Success Rate:
Ardhisasa enables users to initiate valuations, upload documents, and track the progress online.
Digitization of the valuation process has improved transparency and accessibility.
Key Challenges:
The most pressing issue with the Ardhi Sasa online valuation system is frequent system downtime and slow response times. Users often experience delays when submitting requests or accessing the platform, especially during peak hours. These technical issues not only frustrate users but also lead to delays in property transactions, causing backlogs and loss of business confidence.
Possible solutions
1. Continuous User Support: Provide online tutorials and more trainings on the valuation process to assist users and minimize errors.
2. Assign more trained personnel to handle incoming applications and site visits with a priority in high-volume regions like Nairobi and Kiambu.
Conclusion:
The online valuation system via Ardhi Sasa is a bold and necessary step toward digital governance of land in Kenya. While the system holds immense promise, its success depends on resolving technical, structural, and capacity-related issues.
This alert is for information purposes only and is provided for general purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Should you have any questions or need legal advice, please contact us on info@jkkibicho.co.ke.
Contributors:
Junita Ngaroga -Associate Advocate
Docxl Oguta-Trainee Advocate
