ILS

The Ministry of Lands has launched a new electronic system that is expected to make land transactions easier and faster.

The new system known as Integrated Landrent System (ILS) will replace the manual one that has been blamed for being too slow and thus delaying transactions at the ministry.

Addressing the press at the ministry offices Monday, Land Commissioner Zablon Mabea said the new system will not only make transactions easier and faster but will also ensure flexibility and safety of documents.

"Clearance certificates, demand notices and consent will be accurately available and easily processed," he said

Mabea said the system is designed in a manner that will enable the public to access land status and all information on lands through a Short Message Service (SMS) and also be able to pay land rates through Safaricom's M-PESA.

Mabea urged the public to put land into productive to avoid being taxed as spelled out in the draft constitution.

The head of Information Communication Technology (ICT) at the ministry, Lynne Nyongesa said ILS will be more transparent and less cumbersome thus enhancing service delivery.

"Retrieving records in the manual system was slow and it required a minimum of 144 days for certificate clearance unlike now where the same will be done in a maximum of three days," said Nyongesa.

Nyongesa said this was the first automation programme at the ministry since independence and one of the major reforms and the system will be active May from this year.