Lands Officers Trained on New National Stamp Duty Module in Malindi

The State Department for Lands and Physical Planning is training its officers on the new National Stamp Duty Module (NSDM) to enhance efficiency, transparency, and accountability in service delivery.

Speaking in Malindi during the opening ceremony of the workshop, Lands Secretary Sarah Maina underscored the importance of the Ardhisasa system in enhancing service delivery and bringing government services closer to the people, in line with the Constitution of Kenya.

“We must continue creating awareness of Ardhisasa and strengthen collaboration across stations. Our commitment is to ensure seamless service delivery, improved revenue collection, and adequate support for field offices,” she said.

Maina further urged officers to serve the public with respect, courtesy, and professionalism.

The training is being conducted by the Government in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) FAO Kenya and the European Union in KenyaEuropean Union (EU).

On her part, FAO's Digital Land Governance Programme Manager and Team Lead for Governance and Social Inclusion, Husna Mbarak, reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to supporting the State Department in strengthening digitization efforts.

“FAO-EU remains dedicated to working with the government to enhance service delivery through technical support and capacity building,” she noted.

Speaking during the training, Ms. Monica Obongo, Director of the National Land Information Management System (NLIMS), said that with the approval of the Principal Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning, Hon. Generali Nixon Korir, she is committed to ensuring that all registrars and land valuers are well trained on the NSDM, which has the potential to enhance revenue collection.
 

"We value the strong partnership with the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO), as they play a critical role in bridging government services with communities," said Ms Obongo.

She noted that the NSDM has already been rolled out in Mombasa, Ruiru, Kiambu, Kajiado, and Central registries, which are now onboarded onto the system, adding that no manual transactions are being undertaken in respect to stamp duty valuation and payments.

The five-day workshop is designed to equip participants with practical skills in using the NSDM and Ardhipay platforms for processing valuation and stamp duty assessments. Officers are also expected to internalize principles of integrity, transparency, and good governance in service delivery.

In addition to technical training, the program places strong emphasis on ethics and integrity in the civil service.

Once fully rolled out, the National Stamp Duty Module is expected to significantly reduce delays in land transactions, minimize fraudulent practices, and improve revenue collection for the Government, ensuring that members of the public enjoy faster, more transparent, and reliable land services.

Among the senior officials present were Ms. Janerose Karanja, Director of Human Resource and Management Development; Mr. David Nyandoro, the Chief Land Registrar, Mr. Cyrus Mbogo, Director of Central Planning and Project Monitoring (CPPM); Mr. Leonard Maritim, Director of ICT; and the Head of Public Communications Mr. Jibril Adan among others.