Developing a Cadastral Data Model for Part of Machakos Town, Kenya

Abstract

Kenya lacks an efficient and effective land administration system. The land administration system in Kenya has been described as bureaucratic, expensive, undemocratic and prone to abuse. One of the major causes of these drawbacks in the land administration in Kenya is the continued use of the traditional and analogue cadastral system. The cadastral system is characterized by low spatial coverage, varying degree of accuracy and is guided by a complex legal framework which has led to multiple registration systems, fixed and general boundaries, UTM and Cassini Soldner coordinate systems, customary, private and public tenure, amongst others. Most importantly the country lacks a formalized cadastral data model from which the development of LIMS at various levels can be based. The Government of Kenya is in the process of developing a land information system to enhance sustainable land administration at the national level as well as the county level. In the process of introduction of the devolved system in Kenya from a centralized system through the implementation of the constitution of Kenya, 2010, there is need to introduce a component of land administration system that will require some form of standardization. Though there have been efforts by the government of Kenya to automate the system for efficient and effective land administration, these efforts have been partially successful since there is still lack of a national Land Administration Domain Model (LADM). The focus has been on development of a Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) with little emphasis on the cadastral data model which is a unit of the LADM hence the need for development of a cadastral data model. The research project focused on integrating/implementing the concepts and fundamental principles of land administration domain model (LADM) into the formal Kenyan Cadastre by focusing on cadastral data modelling. It presents the possibilities and opportunities for testing LADM in Kenya. During the study it showed that it is possible to extend the LADM standard tool by modeling the cadastral data .At the end of the study, it was noted that designing of a cadastral database for Machakos town based on the developed cadastral data model will contribute towards the development of a National Standard LADM that will ensure interoperability between the county and national land Information Management system.