Transfer land to a buyer after a sale
State Department for Lands and Physical Planning · sources read 30 Sep 2026
Your advocate starts the transfer on Ardhisasa, buyer and seller confirm and sign it from their own Ardhisasa accounts, stamp duty is assessed and paid, and the registrar registers the land in the buyer's name. For agricultural land in a land control area, get Land Control Board consent first.
- Fee
- KSh 1,000Registration fee (transfer)KSh 2,500Title fee (transfer)KSh 3,000Land Control Board consent application (where it applies)
- How long
- About 3 days at the registry once all documents are in
- Deadline
- Land Control Board consent: apply within 6 months of the sale agreement (agricultural land in a land control area)
- Where
- Through an advocate on Ardhisasa (live in Nairobi, Murang'a, Mombasa and Isiolo), or at the land registry where the land is registered; Land Control Board for agricultural land
What you need
- Signed transfer documents, plus Land Control Board consent where it applies
- Valuation report, rent clearance and proof of stamp duty payment (receipt)
- Original title, certified copy of ID or passport, copy of KRA PIN certificate and 2 passport-size photos
Steps
- If it is agricultural land in a land control area, apply to the Land Control Board for consent within 6 months of signing the sale agreement.
- Your advocate logs in to Ardhisasa (ardhisasa.lands.go.ke), opens Transfer of interest in Land (Form LRA 33), fills in the details and uploads the documents.
- Seller and buyer each log in to their own Ardhisasa account, check the transfer and sign it (you confirm with an OTP sent to your phone).
- Your advocate books an appointment on Ardhisasa and hands in the original title at the land registry.
- Once stamp duty is assessed, pay the stamp duty invoice shown on Ardhisasa. The advocate then submits, and the registrar approves and notifies everyone.
Watch out
- Selling agricultural land in a land control area without Land Control Board consent makes the deal void. Don't skip it.
- Stamp duty is the big cost: 2% or 4% of the property's value, on top of the registration and title fees.
- Stamp duty is now handled digitally through Ardhisasa across the country, so don't pay anyone cash to 'process' it.
Who can apply
- The seller (transferor) and buyer (transferee) of registered land. On Ardhisasa, both need their own Ardhisasa accounts.
Official sources (6)
- Service Charter (Updated 2025) lands.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Ardhisasa Documentation: Transfer of interest in land User-Guide lands.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Land Control Act (Cap. 302), sections 6 and 8 new.kenyalaw.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- State Department for Lands rolls out NSDM countrywide, making land transactions faster and transparent lands.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- State Department for Lands Accelerates Digital Transformation of Land Services lands.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Ardhisasa ardhisasa.lands.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026