Can I take an unfair Lands Registry decision to court?
Fair Administrative Action Act, 2015; Land Registration Act, 2012; Environment and Land Court Act, 2011 · sources read 4 Oct 2026
Yes. A decision by a land registrar or other land officer must be lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair, and you can ask for written reasons. If you still disagree, the Environment and Land Court hears disputes about land administration and can quash or redo such decisions.
- Deadline
- Apply for review without unreasonable delay. The Fair Administrative Action Act sets no fixed number of days.
- Deadline
- The office has 30 days to give written reasons after you ask.
- Where
- Environment and Land Court registry, or file online on the Judiciary e-filing portal
Steps
- Write to the office and ask for the reasons for its decision. It must give you the reasons in writing within 30 days.
- Use any internal appeal or review first. The court will not review the decision until you have.
- For a question about the Registrar's powers or duties, you or the Registrar can state a case to the court for its opinion, which binds both sides.
- File at the Environment and Land Court, which hears disputes about land administration and management.
- Ask the court for the order you need. It can grant any just relief, including prerogative orders that cancel a decision or make the office act.
Watch out
- Skip the office's own appeal or review and the court will direct you to use it first before it hears your case.
- Before a decision likely to affect you, the office must give you proper notice of what it plans and why, and a chance to be heard.
- If you disagree with the Environment and Land Court's decision, you can appeal to the Court of Appeal.
Who this covers
- Everyone affected by a decision of a public office, including the Lands Registry and land officers.
- The Registrar, or any person aggrieved by how the Registrar used a power or did a duty under the Land Registration Act.
- Under the Land Registration Act, "the Court" is the Environment and Land Court and other courts with power over land matters.
Official sources (4)
- Fair Administrative Action Act, 2015 new.kenyalaw.org · read 3 Oct 2026
- Land Registration Act, 2012 (Cap. 300) new.kenyalaw.org · read 3 Oct 2026
- Environment and Land Court Act, 2011 new.kenyalaw.org · read 3 Oct 2026
- Fair Administrative Action Act, No. 4 of 2015 ombudsman.go.ke · read 4 Oct 2026