Kenya property law: Development & administration of

propertyrightsinland
Thisisafairly generalisedtopicunderKenyalawthattreatsvarioustopicsasindicated. The
intention is to get a legal profile of the existing framework within which issues relating to
development and administration of property rights in land.
Land

as

property
Itscentralityintheproductionprocessandthatsimplymeansthatlandremainsthemajormeans
ofproductionascomparedtotheotherfactorsofproductionandinoursituationanagricultural
basedeconomy,landassumesagreatersignificancebecauseweallknowthatagricultureisthe
mainstayofoureconomyevenwiththeemphasisplacedonthedrivetowardsindustrialisation.
Consequentlyalltransactionsthattakeplaceinrelationtolandareboundtobemorecomplex
than if you are dealing with other forms of property and hence the need to formulate an
appropriate framework within which the obligations that arise are dealt with. The other
characteristic is the scarcity of land, this is purely a function of the fact of our increasing
population and the pressures that are exerted. Several implications emerge e.g. the fact of
guaranteeinglandoraccesstheretoforthepeoplebecomesalmostimpossible.Thismeansthat
landcannotjustbetreatedlikeotherspeciesofpropertythatoneisconversantwith.Elasticityis
anotherfactor.Itisthecasethatonecannotincreasesupplyoflandfromwhatonehas,itdoes
notexpandandsoitsavailabilityintermsofsupplyremainsvirtuallyconstant.Thatcomplicates
matters

and

hence

the

need

for

regulation.
Landbears whatotherformsofpropertycannotmatch,thatisitscapacitytoaccommodate
variousinterestseithersimultaneouslyorandthisisinreferencetoitsabilityatanygiventime
orwithinagivenprogressiontakecareofvariousinterestthatmaybeconferredtodifferent
people without there being any conflict whatsoever. for example where there is a grant of
leaseholdinterest,arightgoesoutorcertainbenefitsareconferred.Itisofthatcategorythatcan
entertain

simultaneous

or

successive

interests.
Thefactthatlandisattachedtoeachothercreatesorgivesrisetocertainmutualrightsand
obligations,notableamongsuchrightswouldbetherightofsupportthatmypropertywhichis
adjacent to yours expects and is entitled to, those rights and obligations arise and they are
enforceableatthebehestofwhicheverpartyhasbeenrobbed.Thatplacesacomplexscenario
andthereisalegalframeworkfordeterminingwhatobligationswillensuebyreasonofthese
obligations. The fact that it is indestructible makes it unique in a sense, although land is
amenable to waste, it is virtually incapable of being destroyed.
Thereistheaspectrelatingtoitsabilitytobeconceptualisedbothinverticalandhorizontalterms
andthesignificanceattachedtothisisunderstoodwhenoneconsidersthenotionofproperty

whichmeansthatcontrarytotraditionalbelief,itispossibletohavewithinthesamephysical
solumpropertythatissuspendedontopof3rdor2ndfloorownedbydifferentpeoplethatis
madepossiblethroughtheconceptofsectionalpropertyunlikeinthepastwhereatitledocument
couldonlyissuefromagivenareathiswasthetraditionalnotion. Itisnowpossibletohave
severaltitles dependingonhowmanyflatsarethereinonepieceoflandandthatmakesit
unique.Theissueofmutualrightsandinterestsandobligationshastobedealtwith.Thereare
certain things that have to be necessarily shared so there are rules that will regulate those
arrangements.
Facilities

such

as

parking,

pools

etc.
Onaccountoftheforegoingcharacteristicswhichareassociatedwithlandasaformofproperty,
there are certain important issues which arise true principle issues relate to
Themannerinwhichlandcanbecommoditizedsothatitisplacedatparwithanyotherformsof
property

that

can

be

availed

in

the

market;
The issue as to who exercises control over it.
In the context ofdevelopment and administration ofproperty rights, the first aspect can be
construedasrelatingpurelytothechoicebetweenoperatinganunregisteredlandsystemonthe
onehandandthatofoperatingarecordedorregisteredlandsystemontheother.Inanutshell
thisboilsdowntonomorethanacomparativeperspectiveofthemeritsanddemeritsofthese
twosystemsoneoftheregisteredsystemandtheotheroneofrecordedsystem. Thesecond
aspectrelatingtocontrolisrelatedtothefirstoneinthesensethatitistheentityonwhomsuch
responsibilityfallsthatwillultimatelyregulateallmanneroftransactionsoractivitieswhichmay
beundertakeninrelationtoland.Intermsofregulationsonehastothinkabouttermsoflevels
that are created, the duties and obligations that arise and their enforcement so that their
involvement leads us back to the noted quality of land as a form of property.
Registrationoflandoffersthesurestroutetowardsthecommoditisationoflandandavailingit
easilyandsafelyinthemarketplaceinthesamewayasonewouldexpectintheothertypesof
goods. What registration does is that it records interest in land so as to facilitate their
ascertainment.Asaprocessregistrationcanbeunderstoodasinvolvingrecordingofinterestsin
landsoastofacilitateanditmakeseffectiveanytransactionsinrelationtosuchlandbyavailing
allmaterialdetailsonsuchpropertywhichcanbeeasilyaccessedthroughcarryingoutofa
searchoftheregister.Oncedulyeffectedregistrationhastheeffectofpassinganinterestinland
infavourofthepersonsoregistered. Ofcoursethistheneffectivelymakesregistrationasa
process

to

serve

two

broad

functions
As a documentary manifestation of land as a commodity;
Availsamechanismforprovidingvitalinformationoradatabankforregardingtheexactstatus
ofanyregisteredpropertyatanygiventime,thispresupposesthattheregisterwillbeupdatedat
all

time

to

reflect

this

position.
Incomparisontotheregistersystem,therehastobesomethingnotedandunderthesystem,title
topropertyisverydifficulttodeterminetheprocessinvolvedindeterminingwhoownswhat.
Theprocessistiresome,riskyandexpensiveandfraughtwithuncertainties.Itisthetraditional
practiceoftitleinvestigationifonewantstoappraisethemselvesofthetitle.Thatisdeduced
historically going back to what transactions may have transpired regarding that property

regardingthatpicture.Theentireprocessisconductedwithoutthebenefitofregistrationandthe
purchaserhastoinvestigatetheunregisteredtitletoensurethattherearenoadverseclaimsto
suchpropertywhichprecedethetransaction,whichisthedecisiontobuythepropertywhich
accordinglymeansthatthepurchaserbearsfullresponsibilityforwhateveristheoutcome.The
dutyofcaringthataneventualitysuchasanyclaimswithregardstothesamepropertydonot
springafterhehasostensiblyacquiredtheproperty.Thathasitsrisksaswell,thereareanumber
ofdisadvantageswhichareconsideredastransferringtoadvantagesthattheregisteredsystem
carries with it. For property buyers, it is the trend that this is almost being replaced by a
compulsoryrequirementinmostjurisdictions thattheregistrationoftitletolandbetherule
ratherthantheexception. Thissystemhasbeentherealongtimeanditisnotuntiltheearly
1920sthattheystartedphasingitout.Itisstillcommoninareasthathavenotbeendeclared
adjudication

regions.
ADVANTAGES
Theregisteredlandsystemgivetitleassurancesothatintermsinadministeringpropertyrights
wehavethattitleassurancethatbestowsconfidenceonanypersondealingwiththepropertyin
thesensethattheownerwillhavebeenportrayedashavingagoodtitletopasswithregardtothe
property. Such assurance is achieved through the process of maintenance of organised or
systematicstaterecordingandissuanceoftitledocumentsystemtoeachsuccessiveownerofthe
propertyinquestion,whichthenisreflectedintheregisterinachronologicalorder,itiseasyto
learnthehistoryofthepropertyifonewishes.Italsoestablishesasystemofpublicdatabankof
somesortwhichcontainsrecordsofallpropertytitlessuchdatacanbeaccessedeasilyandis
availabletoalmosttheentirepublicthroughconductingasearchsothatanyinterestedpersons
can

easily

take

advantage

of

that.
Theotheradvantageisthatitmakesavailableapropertymapplanofscientificaccuracywhichis
basedonsurveyworkthatproceedstheprocessofadjudicationandregistration.Suchamapis
revisedandupdatedregularlysoastoofferaclearpictureintermsofidentifyingthepropertyso
one

cannot

be

easily

fooled

by

fraudsters.
Incertaincasesthissystemalsoservestopreserveinasecureplaceimportantdocumentsof
titlesrelatingtovariouspropertieswhichwouldotherwisebecompletelylostorunsafeifleftin
privatehands.Ithasalsobeensuggestedthatthesystemservesasaconstructivepublicnotice
i.e.therecordsthatthesystemserveasanoticetoallandsundryastothetruestatusofthe
registeredproperty.Byreasonofthatfact,ithasbeensuggestedfurtherthatitprotectspotential
purchasersforvalueagainstotherunregisteredadverseinterestswhichmayhavebeenacquired
priortothepurchasingofthepropertyinquestionsincesuchunregisteredinterestedarenot
reflectedanywhereintheregisterandarethereforedeemedtobeunknown.Byprotectingthe
purchasers,theyareeffectivelycushionedagainstuncertaintiesthatcharacterisetheunrecorded
system.Ithasalsobeensuggestedthatgiventhecurrentpolicytowardstheregistrationsystem,
it helps in an important way towards abolishing the earlier inconclusive and costly title
investigationsystemwhichcharacterisestheunregisteredsystem.Insteaditseekstosubstitute
onethatisfinalandabsolutelyauthoritativewhichcanbecarriedoutatthelandsregistryusing

theassistanceofexpertsinchargeoftheregistry.Againthefactthatitleadstothecreationofa
registermeansthatallinterests thataffectthattitle betheymortgages,charges orwhatever
burdensthatthetitleissubjecttowilleasilybedisclosedsothatonemakesaninformedchoice
sothatshortofoverridingintereststhatareneverreflectedontheregister,everythingelsethat
affectsthattitlewouldbeevidentandmadeavailabletotheinterestedparties.Theprocessalso
leads to the proprietor of the particular property an official title document. That official
documentbearsdetailsoftheentriestobefoundintheregisterbutmostimportantlyitisa
documentthatcanbeusedbytheproprietorinanumberoftransactionsbecauseitisvalidand
legitimateandthebusinesspracticeswhetheritisseekingfinancialorofferingsecurityinother
aspects, it makes it possible for the owner to rely on such official documentation.
Registersystemcarriestheprovisionofshortandcomplicatedformsthatcanbeusedincomplex
dealslikewhenyouwanttotakeamortgage,chargeetconeneednotrefertoanexpertasit
simplifiessomeoftheseactivities.Thefactthattheintentionistocreateapublicrecordmeans
thatthereisamechanismthroughwhichthepubliccanaccess.Soasearchcanbeconductedat
the relevant registry to enable a person acquaint themselves with any facts regarding the
property.Therearenoguaranteesasitweresothesearchisusuallyselfconducted.Theofficial
searchistheoneconductedbytheofficialsoftheregistryandintermsofaccuracy,theregistry
is vouching that whatever information you have been supplied with as of that time reflect
accuratelythetruepositionregardingthestatusoftheproperty,itismoreexpensiveintermsof
fees

required

but

much

safer.
Aregisteredsystemwouldtoalargeextentexposeanydefectswhichmayhaveoccurredin
termsofvariousdealingswithregardtolandtransactions,astheregistrywillnotacceptfaulty
documentsuntilandunlesssuchdocumentsconformwiththenecessarystatutoryrequirements.
Itstreamlinesthewholeexercise.Becauseoftheperceivedadvantages,ithasbeenarguedthatit
isperceivedtoreducedlitigationinrelationtolandsimplybecauseitfiltersissuesthatmake
litigationsariseinthefirstplace.Ithasalsobeensuggestedthatsincethisisastatemaintained
andrunsystem,whatiscreatedissomeinsuranceschemetoindemnifythoseincurringany
lossesbyreasonofmistakesoromissionsintheregister.Thestateinsuranceschemewillmeet
thecostsarisingtoanypartythatmaysuffersuchdamagebyreasonofanerrorintheregister