Understanding Land Amalgamation in Kenya

Land amalgamation is the process of combining small pieces of land to one large piece and under one title deed. This process is also known as land consolidation or land readjustment. In Kenya, land amalgamation is done through the regulations of the Land Consolidation Act. The purpose of amalgamation of land is to increase land use efficiency, productivity and management.

Documents required for land amalgamation

The process of amalgamation of land requires various documents. The submission is required for certified and original documents. Below is a list of the documents for better guidance

1. Cadastral Map and a Cadastral Plan.
2. colored passport size photograph,
3. National ID Number
4. Tax PIN Number
5. Title deeds of lands to be combined.
6. Company registration certificate (in case of company)
7. Filled in Application For Combination-Form LRA 26

Step by Step Procedure of Land Amalgamation

Online Process of Land Amalgamation

1. Individuals wishing to combine/amalgamate parcels of land in Kenya can make an amalgamation of land application with the Ministry of Lands online portal through the following  Ardhisasa Online platform
2. Upon entering Ardhisasa platform , click on the “Register” button to register for an account on the online portal. This will direct the applicant to the next page where they are to start their registration process.
3. On the next page choose between “Individual registration” or “Company registration” depending on type of registration they want to do.
4. Upon entering the next page enter the required information for registration click on the “Verify” button for verification be done online. The information needed include: –
   1. Individual registration
      • Identification details (serial number of the current ID, ID number)
      • Official mobile number (registered using their ID number)
      • Personal e-mail address
      • Set up a strong password
   2. Company registration
      • Company registration number
      • Official company mobile number (registered using a director’s ID number)
      • Company e-mail address
      • Set up a strong password
5. During the verification process a onetime password (OTP) will be sent to the applicants phone and email address, enter the OTP for verifications to be complete.
6. Once done an Ardhisasa Identity Number will be sent to the applicants phone, which the applicant can use when logging into their online account.
7. The applicant should then log into their Ardhisasa account using their ID Number/ Ardhisasa ID, password and OTP.
8. Upon entering their accounts home page, go to the “Services” tab and click on the “View More” button inside the Survey and Mapping Tab to proceed to the next page
9. Upon entering the next page click on the “Land Amalgamation” option to enter the next page where the applicant is required to provide information for the amalgamation application.
10. Please provide required information for amalgamation. These include: –
    1. Location of parcel of land
    2. Approximate size of parcel of lands
    3. Select the properties to be combined from the list of properties registered in the system.
    4. Cadastral Plan
    5. Upload a Cadastral Map
11. The applicant should then confirm that all the information given is correct and click on the “Save & Continue” button. This will cause an invoice for payment of the application fees to be generated in the Action section.
12. Under the Actions Section, click on “Pay” button to initiate the application payments. Choose the Payment method preferred and follow the instructions given to make the payment.
13. Upon making the payment the applicant will receive a payment Confirmation message on their phone.
14. The applicant should wait for approximately 5 minutes then refresh the payments page. After refreshing the page, Click on the “Confirm” button to complete the transaction. The payments will reflect on the Ardhisasa account instantly.
15. A ticket number will also be generated which the applicant will use to track the progress of their application.
16. At this stage the application will be sent for verification, land survey and approval to the Lands Ministry.
17. Upon successful review and approval, a notification email and SMS will be sent to the applicant informing him of the progress. This is usually after a period of 45 days.
18. Once approved, the applicant should log into Arthisasa account to download their new land certificate for the combined parcel of land.
19. Once logged in proceed to the “Land Amalgamation” section and click on the “Download Certificate” button to download the new combined land certificate.
20. The applicant is required to submit the existing certificate of title to the Chief Land Registrar in exchange for the new one.

Manual Process of Land Amalgamation

1. Individuals wishing to combine/amalgamate parcels of land in Kenya can make an amalgamation of land application with the Ministry of Land in their respective county office. The applicant can do this by visiting the Ministry of Lands Offices to make the application.
2. Here the applicant will be given an Application For Combination-Form LRA 26 to fill and submit.
3. Fill in the application form and attach the required documents. A list of the required documents is mentioned in the “Required Documents” section of this page.
4. Submit the completed application form and all the required documents to the County Chief Land Registrar for verification.
5. The registrar will go through the application and advice the applicant on the amount of fees required to be paid for the application. The amount of fees to be paid depends on the size of the parcel and the number of parcels and other factors.
6. Once informed on the amount of fees due, proceed to pay the required fees.
7. Submit the payment receipt to the Land Registrar Offices for processing of the licensing application process to begin.
8. At this point the County Chief Land Register will involve other relevant authorities before making the approval for amalgamation. These authorities include the following: –
   1. Officer representing the national Director of Surveys at the county
   2. Officer representing the national Director of Physical Planning at the county
   3. The land administration officer of the national government at county
   4. Representative of the Land Control Board, where applicable
9. Upon review and approval by the county chief land registrar and relevant authorities, the registrar will grant development approval to the applicant.
10. The whole process is usually completed after a period of 30 days.
11. The chief registrar will also forward a copy of the development approval to the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Land
12. At this point, the applicant shall cause a survey to be carried out and submit a cadastral map and plan to the County Chief Land Registrar for registration and issuance of resultant title(s).
13. The County Chief Land registrar will then proceed to process a new land certificate for the amalgamated parcel of land.
14. Once the processing is complete the applicant will be contacted to collect the new land certificate.
15. The applicant shall be required to submit the existing certificate of title to the Chief Land Registrar in exchange for a new one.
16. The whole process takes a period of 45 days to complete.

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