How to do a land search in Kenya (online on Ardhisasa and at the registry)

An official land search is the first real check in any land or house purchase in Kenya. It tells you who the land registry says owns a parcel and whether anything is registered against it. It costs little and takes days, yet many buyers who lose money to land fraud skipped it or relied on a search "done by the seller".

What a land search tells you

A certificate of official search (often called a "search") shows, for a specific parcel or title number:

• The registered owner or owners, and their ID or company details.
• The size of the parcel as registered.
• Encumbrances: charges (mortgages or loans secured on the land), cautions, inhibitions, restrictions and leases.
• For leasehold land, the lease term and lessor.

A search does not tell you where the parcel is on the ground, whether someone is occupying it, or whether there is a family dispute that has not been registered. That is why you also need a surveyor and a site visit.

What you need before you search

• The exact title number or land reference number (for example, a parcel number in a registration section, or an LR number for older titles). Copy it from the title, not from an advert.
• Your own identification details and KRA PIN for the online systems.
• The search fee, paid through the official payment channel.

Option 1: Search online on Ardhisasa

Ardhisasa is the Ministry of Lands' digital land information platform. For registries that have been onboarded, you can:

1. Register an account on the Ardhisasa portal with your ID details and verify it.
2. Choose the land search service and enter the parcel number.
3. Pay the search fee through the platform's payment options.
4. Download the search result once it is processed.

Not every registry has been fully migrated to Ardhisasa yet, and coverage keeps expanding. If the platform does not recognise a parcel, it may sit in a registry that still processes searches manually.

Option 2: Search at the land registry

1. Go to the land registry that holds the parcel's records (usually the county registry).
2. Fill in the search application with the parcel number.
3. Attach a copy of the title if you have one, and your ID.
4. Pay the fee and collect the certificate of official search when it is ready.

Your advocate can do this for you and usually will as part of the transaction.

How to read the result

Check, line by line:

• Owner's name and ID number match the seller's documents exactly. A different spelling, ID number or an extra co-owner is a red flag until explained.
• Acreage matches what you are being sold. If you are buying part of a parcel, you are buying a subdivision that needs its own title.
• Encumbrances section is empty, or any charge will be discharged at completion with the lender's written undertaking.
• Date of the search is recent. Do another search just before completion, because the register can change.

Searches for companies and sectional titles

If the seller is a company, also do a company search (CR12) on the Business Registration Service to confirm the directors who will sign the transfer. For apartments with sectional titles, the search should show the unit and its share of the common property under the Sectional Properties Act.

Red flags in a search

• The seller refuses to give you the parcel number or wants to "do the search for you".
• The search shows a caution or restriction the seller cannot explain.
• The title copy and the search show different owners or sizes.
• You are buying a plot "from a mother title" with no subdivision approvals yet.

See our list of land fraud red flags in Kenya for more.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a land search cost in Kenya?

The official search fee is a small statutory fee set by the Ministry of Lands. Check the current amount on Ardhisasa or at the registry, because fees are revised from time to time. Advocates may charge a separate professional fee.

How long does a land search take?

Online searches on Ardhisasa are often processed within a day or two. Manual searches at a registry can take longer depending on the registry's workload.

Can I do a land search with only the plot number?

Yes, the parcel or title number is what the registry needs. You do not need the owner's consent to do a search.

Is a land search enough to prove ownership?

No. It confirms the register, but you also need a licensed surveyor to confirm that the land on the ground is the registered parcel, and an advocate to check the seller's authority to sell.