Nairobi: Government leaders, policymakers, and international development partners have called for the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), geospatial data, and emerging technologies into Kenya’s land administration systems to drive sustainable economic growth. The call was made during the Fifth Regional Research Conference on Land and Natural Resources held at the Kenya School of Government in Kabete, Nairobi, under the theme ‘Strengthening Land Governance for Sustainable National Economic Development’.
According to Kenya News Agency, the two-day conference focused on aligning spatial planning and secure land tenure with national economic priorities, food security, and urban development. Vision 2030 Delivery Board Chairman Dr. Emmanuel Kombe Nzai highlighted the progress made by the government under the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), noting a 102.3 percent increase in annual title deed issuance. Title deed issuance rose from 412,562 in 2022 to 834,875, benefiting more than two million landowners nationwide. Nzai emphasized that land tenure security is foundational for national development, with the doubling of title deed output and the digitization of registries empowering citizens and fostering a predictable environment for economic investment.
Other milestones cited by Nzai include constructing over 260,000 housing units under the Affordable Housing Programme and operationalizing the National Land Information System in counties such as Nairobi, Kiambu, and Mombasa. However, he cautioned that persistent challenges, including land fragmentation in agricultural zones and the absence of spatial land-use plans in more than 40 percent of counties, required an urgent review of the National Land Policy.
Speaking via video link, Principal Secretary for Science, Research and Innovation Prof. Abdulrazak Shaukat noted that traditional land administration approaches could no longer serve a national population projected to reach 84 million by 2050. He called for predictive land governance powered by satellite imagery, drones, and artificial intelligence to manage rapid urban growth while protecting vital agricultural corridors. Shaukat outlined priority areas for the land sector, including developing a single national land data ecosystem, embedded policy research, citizen-centered digital services, and strengthening local technical capacity.
Nairobi City County Deputy Governor James Njoroge Muchiri highlighted the importance of effective land governance in addressing resource shortages and challenges such as a daily water deficit of 375 million liters, more than 3,000 tonnes of waste generated daily, and an annual housing deficit exceeding 200,000 units. He emphasized that these challenges are intrinsically linked to land-use planning and management. Muchiri also noted ongoing urban renewal initiatives and plans to deploy a comprehensive digital Land Management System (LMS) to safeguard public land assets.
FAO Representative to Kenya Farayi Constance Zimudzi commended the EU-FAO co-funded Digital Land Governance Programme (DLGP), underscoring that secure land rights are essential for sustainable development. She noted secure land tenure’s impact on agricultural productivity and climate resilience, particularly for women farmers and pastoralist communities. Zimudzi highlighted that 2026 coincides with the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists and the International Year of the Woman Farmer, providing an opportunity to emphasize land rights and sustainable resource management.
Principal Secretary for Basic Education John Ololtuaa revealed that only 27 percent of public primary and secondary schools in Kenya possess title deeds, a situation that exposes public school land to encroachment and disputes. In a speech read on his behalf, Ololtuaa stated that the Ministry of Education is collaborating with the National Land Commission and the Ministry of Lands to expedite the issuance of title deeds to public educational institutions.
The conference concluded with delegates agreeing on the need for stronger coordination between national and county governments, research institutions, development partners, and communities in addressing emerging land governance challenges. Delegates stressed the importance of ensuring digital land systems remain accessible to citizens and are supported by adequate technical expertise and reliable data. The conference committed to aligning land research, digital infrastructure, and policy frameworks with the long-term economic objectives of Vision 2030.
