Kenyans face a hike in land transaction fees in CS Alice Wahome new proposal

Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has unveiled proposals for substantial amendments to land transaction fees, raising concerns among Kenyan citizens already grappling with the escalating cost of living and heightened taxes.

Wahome emphasized that the objective of the proposed changes is to update long-neglected state instruments related to fees and charges within the land sector.

Notably, some fees have remained unchanged for decades, the CS said.

In the proposed adjustments, an official search of land will now cost Sh2,000, while the registration of documents and corporation certificate fees will be set at Sh1,500.

The fees for incorporating trusts are set to skyrocket from Sh5,000 to Sh50,000.

In her detailed proposals, Wahome outlined that the application for certified copies of proceedings arising from the determination of the land registrar will be revised to Sh3,000 for the first 10 pages, with an additional charge of Sh100 for each extra page.

Resubmission for the registration of any document will cost Sh1,500, and correcting a name overlooked by the registrar will incur a fee of Sh2,500.

Additionally, the revocation of a power of attorney will be priced at Sh5,000.

Confirming boundary disputes will now come at a cost of Sh5,000, while fixing boundaries and placing a caution will each be charged at Sh5,000 and Sh3,000, respectively.

Surprisingly, any land registry operations conducted outside the office will also cost Kenyans Sh5,000, paralleling the expense of transport, including offering registry advice.

The Ministry of Lands defended these revisions, citing the lack of major updates for over 30 years as the rationale behind the proposed changes.

However, this move comes in the midst of a broader governmental push to increase taxes and charges for essential services.