PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF E-SYSTEMS OF LAND GOVERNANCE IN KENYA 1 A Paper Presented at the Land Governance and Poverty Conference by Professor J. T. Kaimenyi Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development Washington D C, 15 th March 2016

INTRODUCTION Governments all over the world are now introducing e- government as a strategic option to fine tune the service delivery in their different government sectors. E-Governance helps to facilitate government to manage resources, implement plans and policies along with efficient service delivery to the citizens. Additionally, e-Governance aims for easy dissemination of government information between government to citizens which helps to improve the quality of government services and promotes participatory approach. Moreover, citizen empowerment through easy accessto information, more efficient and effective government activities, reduction in administrative burden and cost, to promote transparency in the government processes and other goals of e-Governance as well are the other key aims of having a robust e-governement. In recent years, the concept of e-governance has flourished rapidly with advancement of Information and communication Technology (ICT) and the Geographic Information Systems (GIS). 2

BENEFITS Cost reduction and efficiency gains. Quality of service delivery to businesses and customers. Transparency, anticorruption, accountability. Increases the capacity of government. Improved network and community integration. Improves the quality of decision making. Promotes use of ICT in other sectors of the society. 3

This is about the policies, processes and institutions by which land, property and natural resources are managed. This includes decisions on access to land, land rights, land use, and land development. Land governance is basically about determining and implementing sustainable land policies and establishing a strong relationship between people and land. Sound land governance is fundamental in achieving sustainable development and poverty reduction and therefore a key component in supporting the global agenda, set by adoption of the MDGs. 4 LAND GOVERNANCE

INITIATIVES TOWARDS LAND GOVERNANCE IN KENYA I.Policy, Legal and Institutional framework on Land governance Kenya Vision 2030 This is the country’s blue print covering the period and aims at transforming Kenya into a newly industrialized middle income country and providing a high quality life to all citizens by National Land Policy (2009) The policy’s vision is to guide the country towards efficient, sustainable and equitable use of land for prosperity and posterity. 5

Cont.. National Urban Development Policy (2012) This policy recognizes planning as the software for delivering urban development, as it provides a structured framework for coordinating and integrating sectoral plans and activities, and supports the systematic implementation of urban development programmes. National Land Use Policy This policy is being developed to regulate the planning and the use of land for sustainable national development. The Constitution of Kenya (2010) The Constitution has provided for equitable access to land and security of land tenure for all citizens.. 6

Cont.. II.Development of e-systems of Land Governance in Kenya Huduma Kenya The Government through e-systems such as Huduma Centres aims to transform Public Service Delivery by providing citizens access to various services and information from One Stop Shop. National land Information and Management System (NLIMS) The Government has undertaken to improve land management through the introduction of electronic land management information systems under the National Land Commission. The development of this system is in line with the country’s ICT policy, which provides a roadmap that guides the transformation of the country toward e-Governance through the adoption of ICT strategies. 7

Cont… Kenya National Spatial Data Infrastructure (KNSDI) The Government is implementing an initiative for the establishment of NSDI for efficient management of geospatial data in the country. The Continuous Operating Reference Stations (CORS) The Government is constructing Continuous Operating Reference Stations (CORS) to support three dimensional positioning, meteorology, space weather, and geophysical applications throughout the country. Land Rent collection The Government has developed a land rent collection system that allows land rent information to be accessed through online platforms. This enhances retrieval of information on amounts owed to the government and shows updates of payments. Modernization of Land Registries The Government is in the process of digitizing land registries in the country to enhance security of land records and improve service delivery. 8

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES The Government would like to engage with development partners in the following areas: Expertise Development Use of modern technology. Institutionalization and implementation of research and development programs. Capacity Building Provision of infrastructure in the land registries. Provision of tools and equipment. Human Resource Development. Development Assistance Modernization of Land Registries. 9

Cont.. Public Private Partnerships Development of the Kenya National Spatial Data Infrastructure. Review of the Existing systems National Land Information Management System. National Cadastral information System. National Spatial Plan. In summary, there are innumerable partnership opportunities in Kenya to help us develop and strengthen e-systems of land governance. 10

Thank You 11