The Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) convened the 10th ISK Africa Regional Conference in Mombasa to retool and design the roadmap for professionals in the land and built environment sectors amid global socio-economic and technological shifts.
Speaking during the two-day conference themed “Future-Ready Landed Professionals: Fostering Excellence and Resilience”, ISK President Eric Nyadimo said the forum seeks to strengthen professional capacity for sustainable development, resilience building, and digital transformation across Kenya and Africa.
“The world is facing rapid urbanisation, climate change, and environmental degradation. Land and built environment professionals must anticipate these shifts and provide spatial intelligence to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution,” Nyadimo said.
He noted that the summit underscores ISK’s continued commitment to nurturing skilled professionals capable of navigating evolving challenges in land governance, valuation, surveying, property management, mining, and natural resource management.
The conference brings together regional experts to reflect on the state of land administration, explore innovative solutions to tenure insecurity and informal settlements, and discuss the integration of emerging technologies such as geospatial systems, artificial intelligence, and smart valuation tools in land management.
Nyadimo added that the forum also seeks to influence policies promoting inclusive, climate-smart, and ethically sound land development practices.
He underscored the fact that land remains central to Kenya’s economic transformation, noting that the conference aligns with key frameworks including Vision 2030, the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), the National Land Policy 2023, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Despite notable progress in land reforms and digitisation, Nyadimo highlighted persistent gaps in policy and coordination.
“Challenges remain, including reliance on general boundaries, outdated laws, and weak inter-agency coordination that hinder effective data sharing,” he said, adding that the conference provides a platform for multi-sectoral dialogue to generate practical solutions and share innovations from across the continent.
ISK Deputy President Nelly Mbugua said the conference theme reflects the need for adaptability and integrity in a rapidly evolving professional landscape.
“It is about being agile and relevant in the face of disruption. To foster excellence is to uphold integrity and professionalism while staying grounded in our purpose as we innovate and evolve,” she said.
Through the conference, ISK seeks to empower professionals to guide Kenya and Africa toward a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future.
As the conference unfolds, Mbugua reaffirms its vision of an ethical and inclusive profession equipped to reimagine urban and rural futures, develop actionable policy recommendations, and deepen partnerships across Africa’s land and built environment sectors.
By Chari Suche and Sitati Reagan
