The State Department for Lands and Physical Planning has recorded another significant milestone in advancing the government’s digital transformation agenda with the rollout of a fully digital stamp duty processing system.
The new system replaces the previous manual stamp duty process, which was prone to delays, inefficiencies, and administrative vulnerabilities.
Through this initiative, the State Department continues to strengthen service delivery, improve efficiency, curb malpractices in land transactions and enhance anti-corruption measures.
Under the new framework, customers seeking to pay stamp duty can now request assessments and make payments electronically through the National Stamp Duty Module (NSDM), which is fully integrated into the National Land Information Management System (Ardhisasa).
Payments are processed through ArdhiPay, which is linked to the e-Citizen platform for seamless government revenue collection.
Speaking during the rollout, Lands and Physical Planning Principal Secretary Generali Nixon Korir said the introduction of the National Stamp Duty Module marks a major step towards modernising and simplifying land transaction procedures.
“This platform is designed to enhance accuracy, accountability, and efficiency in stamp duty assessment and collection for property transfers,” said the Principal Secretary.
He noted that the rollout of NSDM was preceded by comprehensive system development, extensive staff training, and structured stakeholder engagement to ensure readiness and smooth adoption.
The Principal Secretary further directed all valuers and registrars in the live registries to process all land transfer applications through the NSDM and to strictly adhere to established system protocols with immediate effect.
The NSDM is currently fully operational in 36 land registries nationwide, with rollout in the remaining land offices progressing as scheduled.
The Director of the National Land Information Management System, Ms. Monica Obongo, said the rollout of the National Stamp Duty Module underscores the Government’s firm commitment to institutionalising digital public service delivery in the land sector.
She noted that the system-driven process advances transparency and strengthens accountability through clear audit trails.
“The digital system enables real-time oversight and enhances ease of doing business through reduced transaction time frames, as it eliminates arbitrary interference and standardises stamp duty assessment and payment procedures across the country,” she explained.
Ms Obongo emphasised that the reform is a critical pillar in the broader land governance modernisation agenda, aimed at restoring public confidence, safeguarding government revenue, and delivering efficient, predictable, and citizen-centred land administration services.
Previously, stamp duty processing relied on physical submission of documents, manual assessments and in-person payments, resulting in higher error rates, prolonged transaction timelines and congestion in land offices.
“The digital module addresses these challenges by providing a secure, system-based and user-friendly platform, which also retains necessary professional and institutional oversight at each stage of the transaction,” she noted.
To support effective adoption of the digital platform, the State Department, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the European Union (EU), undertook a comprehensive capacity-building programme targeting officers across the country.
The programme was conducted across eight regional clusters between August and November 2025 and equipped officers with practical skills to operate and process transactions on the NSDM platform.
The training sessions were held in Malindi, Isiolo, Uasin Gishu, Nakuru, Kisumu, Kajiado, Makueni, and Embu, bringing together counties within each region for harmonised learning and peer collaboration.
This approach aimed at enhancing operational readiness through promoting uniform understanding of the system and strengthening inter-county collaboration in service delivery.
Members of the public and land sector professionals, including lawyers, surveyors and conveyancing professionals, can now access stamp duty services remotely through the Ardhisasa System, significantly reducing the costs.
To complete stamp duty payment, users log into the Ardhisasa platform using their registered credentials, initiate the relevant land transaction, and generate a stamp duty request.
Once valuation is undertaken and the applicable duty assessed, the user reviews the invoice and makes payment electronically through ArdhiPay using approved government channels.
Upon successful payment, the system generates an electronic receipt, allowing the transaction to proceed seamlessly.
The rollout of the Stamp Duty Module on Ardhisasa aligns with the Government’s broader digital transformation agenda and ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening land governance.
The State Department for Lands and Physical Planning has encouraged stakeholders and members of the public to adopt the new system with an assurance of continuous system improvement.
Also, the stakeholder engagement will remain a priority to ensure efficient, transparent, and citizen-centred service delivery.
By Catherine Muindi
