This archive report was first published on 29 June 2021.
On June 29, 2021, Kilifi County Governor Amason Kingi launched the Kilifi Electronic Development Application and Management Systems (Ke-DAMS), a digital property registry aimed at speeding up service delivery and minimizing corruption.
The manual processing of development permits and other services often took more than a month to conclude, resulting in unnecessary delays and opportunities for corruption. Governor Kingi stated, “We shall continue to enhance seamless service delivery and creating of an investor-friendly environment so that we can attract more investors as well as create jobs for our population.”
The online platform is expected to collect at least Sh2 billion in land and property rates, reducing the need for applicants to spend time and money seeking approvals. Governor Kingi added, “People would waste a lot of time chasing something that would otherwise be concluded within minutes and the many interaction with people in offices made money change hands to buy time hence promoting corruption.”
The programme is funded by the county in partnership with the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation. World Bank Group Kenya Competitiveness Enhancement Programme Manager Sarah Ochieng praised the platform, noting that it will require continuous update of the hardware and software for it to be successful.
The digital property registry has been praised as a measure to control the spread of the coronavirus, as it minimizes physical interaction between applicants and county officials.
