The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development is keen to leverage on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to enhance operations of Land Use studies and Land Cover Classification, says Cabinet Secretary (CS) Alice Wahome.
Speaking during the Pre-AGM conference of the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) in Mombasa, the CS noted that her Ministry plays a critical role in the utilization of technological advancements to attain the vision of secure land tenure and a sustainable built environment for all.
The two-day conference under the theme: “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) compliant Surveying” brings together Land and Built Sector Professionals from the public, private sector and academia.
“Ongoing developments such as population growth and connected issues of food security and urbanization have put land and water resources under considerable pressure,” said the CS. “There is therefore a need to employ AI and ML for smart administration and management of land as a scarce and finite resource,” she added.
Cabinet Secretary for Land Alice Wahome addressing members of the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) during a Pre-AGM conference in Mombasa where she revealed plans to accelerate the use of technology in the land sector.
AI, the CS observed, is advancing at a record speed, and becoming a prevalent topic of discussion for a variety of industries and sectors, including the surveying industry. She advised Surveyors, Valuers, Estate Agents and Property Managers, to employ ML algorithms to effectively analyze data, to stay afloat in their competitive environment.
“AI-powered software and tools will continue to help surveyors collect, process, and analyze large amounts of data, making it easier to map out land features, identify potential hazards, and assess the impact of development projects,” stated the CS.
The Surveyors were challenged to see how the use of specialized drones and other unmanned airborne vehicles could be utilized to provide real-time mapping for decision-making and property management. By leveraging AI the ArdhiSasa platform Ms Wahome noted that this will revolutionize land administration and management, making processes more efficient, transparent, and accessible to all citizens.
To resolve the challenges posed by varying charges for endorsing sectional plans across different counties, the CS said there is a need to make changes to the regulations to make it clear what counties should charge for endorsing survey plans.
She further called upon the Director of Surveys, the Land Surveyors’ Board, the Association of Licensed Land Surveyors of Kenya (ALLSK), and ISK to ensure that clear standard operating procedures are drafted in the form of a user manual that will go a long way in providing guidance whenever sectional properties surveys are carried out or processed.
To address the current shortage of valuers across many of the registries country-wide, the Ministry of Land and the Public Service Commission is finalizing the employment of 100 valuers.
“My Ministry is now in charge of collecting stamp duty. This activity will therefore go a long way in enhancing our operations and has the potential of increasing revenue collection as we also improve on service delivery to the citizenry,” said CS Wahome, adding plans are underway to employ surveyors.
On legal reforms, the Ministry of Lands is keen to have a bill that would regulate Land Administration and management as well as property development.