Ministry of Lands goes cashless as it rolls out Ardhipay platform

Under the State Department for Lands and Physical Planning, the system is a significant step towards eradicating cash transactions within Land offices, ultimately reducing embezzlement.

Speaking on Monday during the flagging off of the program, Cabinet Secretary Zachariah Njeru said the Ardhipay system is not only going to make work efficient but also easier and faster.

"We are doing this because we want to improve service delivery to our Citizens. The State Department for Lands and Physical Planning has really worked to see that Kenyans are served fast and efficiently," said CS Njeru.

In his remarks, Principal Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning Generali Nixon Korir said the program will minimise cash transfers involved in land transactions.

"We want to go cashless in all our registries Nationwide in 14 days starting today. For the last three weeks, we have rolled out cashless at Ardhi House and it is working well," said PS Korir.

PS Korir added that the State Department has developed Ardhipay system that is linked to the eCitizen platform, which shall help in the implementation of the policy.

He noted that the policy mandates the use of digital payment methods (M-PESA or banks) for all services, fostering accountability, precision, and timely reporting in revenue collection. Implementation in the 18 offices has demonstrated remarkable improvements in revenue collection.

The 18 stations where the cashless policy is already in effect include Wundanyi, Kiambu, Muranga, Ruiru, Thika, Ngong, Kajiado, Eldoret, Mombasa, Kisumu, Trans Nzoia, Machakos, Gatundu, Naivasha, Survey of Kenya, Ardhi House, Yatta, and Kisamis.

To expedite this nationwide transition, PS Korir noted that the State Department will embark on an extensive 14-day exercise to implement the policy in the remaining 76 Land offices.

This initiative includes the provision of computers and essential ICT equipment, ensuring that all Land offices are well-prepared to implement the policy and embrace the future digitization of land services.

Dedicated field office staff will receive specialized training in cashless revenue collection, ensuring a smooth transition.

Public awareness campaigns will also be conducted, educating citizens on the straightforward steps to make payments.

Additionally, a demonstration of how the public can conveniently utilize the Ardhisasa platform for seamless Land Rent payments will also be done.