Creating a Land Information System for a Sectional Property Case Study: Lr 1870/1/218, Westlands, Nairobi

Abstract

The general trend of urbanization, population growth and industrialization is asserting more pressure on land, depending on various human activities and land use. Since the supply of land is inelastic and fixed in quantity, there is need to maximise the use of available land. Due to the rising need for further developments, it is becoming necessary to construct tall complex buildings, run cables and other facilities underground or in space, in order to maximise on use of available land. A general lack of efficient and comprehensive geospatial information in digital form in Kenya has brought about a number of problems and challenges such as loss of land documents, corruption, and intrusion of middlemen in the Survey and Lands offices especially during the land search process or when looking for maps in Lands Offices. These challenges in Lands and Survey offices can be eliminated by setting up a centralized, up-to-date geodatabase that can be accessed easily. Digital Land Information Management is now globally accepted as the best way to enhance the operation and management of land information in cities. In this project, a sectional property in parcel LR 1870/1/218, Ring Road, Westlands, Nairobi, which has forty one (41) units was mapped and a database was created to expedite the search of the information in relation to ownership and rights, responsibilities and restrictions (3Rs) in relation to the property. The sectional property data was collected for analysis and application of the geodatabase technology in processing, analysing, storing, dissemination and archiving of the data in a computer based system through a geodatabase system that would aid the information retrieval to relevant people or authorities. This prototype system provides a platform and a system that managers and the government department would use for data management.