Ever thought of how to purchase property in Kenya? What are the steps that are involved. Purchasing property in Kenya is easy and you can follow the steps below as a guide.
The purchase of land, property or real estate
has been demystified with the current processes that has made it simpler, informative
and secure. This article will highlight some of the key processes required in
purchasing of property as well as the costs that are involved. The process of
purchasing property and costs involved in Kenya is as follows;
Identification
of land
This is the process where the buyer has to go
out and look for land. Through research and proper investigation, a land which
is identified by a potential buyer can now start the process.
Ministry
of lands search
The Ministry of Lands will give you the
details of the land in question. That is if there is any owner or title deed
offering to the land parcel. A fee of around 520 Kenyan shillings is attached
to the search application form which is done in 2 hours’ time.
Local
county offices search
At the county offices, you will receive a
clearance certificate that will ensure that any unpaid land rates are factored
in the purchase. The cost of this search is KES 7,500 and is ready in two
hours.
Obtaining
a land map
A land map shows the land drawn to scale and
the neighboring plots. This can be obtained from the Ministry of Lands for KES
300 or from a local surveyor, the latter being faster.
Ground
Verification
The buyer, seller and surveyor go to the
ground to confirm and verify the land parcel. The beacons are correctly
confirmed as stipulated by the land map in order to avoid future disputes.
Sale Agreement
Here, a lawyer the seller is advised to have
a lawyer draw up the contract of sale of the land parcel. The buyer can also
appoint a lawyer as well. The contract indicates terms of sale and mode of
payment as well as other stipulations deemed necessary by the two parties. If
land is valued at above KES 1 million, the lawyer charges a fee of KES 8,000
and KES 3,000 for land below KES 1 million.
Land
Control Board clearance
The Land Control Board (LCB) is a forum of
the Assistant County Commissioners and the local village elders who meet once a
month and give final consent for land sale. This costs around KES 1,000 but for
an urgent meet up, KES 5,000.
Land Ownership
Transfer
A land title is drawn once all payments are
done. Change of ownership is done at the Ministry of Lands once the seller
signs the land transfer forms, gets consent from LCB, have land search,
clearance from the county, old title deed and relevant documents such as KRA
pin and passport photos. Processing of a new title deed takes 2 weeks and costs
KES 5,000.
Stamp
duty and transfer fees
Buyer applies to land valuation by state
valuer using valuation form signed by the seller. The stamp duty payable is
determined by the Lands office. For urban areas, the stamp duty is 4% of land value
while for rural areas it is 2% and is paid to the Commissioner of Domestic
Taxes.
Now the land is yours with these process defined. You will now have full ownership of the land once you follow the steps outlined above.
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