Karibu Blog
- Fraud and verification
How to spot a fake title deed in Kenya: 9 checks before you pay a deposit
Some forged titles are printed on real security paper, so feel and stamps prove little. These are the nine checks that test a Kenyan title deed against the register, the seller and the land before any money moves.
2026-10-26 - Diaspora news
Kenya remittances in September 2026: the CBK numbers and what they mean if you are buying at home
Kenyans abroad sent home USD 438.5 million in September 2026, up 4.5% on a year earlier, while money from North America kept falling. Here is what the Central Bank data shows, and what it changes for anyone sending money home for property.
2026-10-25 - Fraud and verification
How to do a land search in Kenya online, step by step from abroad
Ardhisasa now covers Nairobi, Murang'a, Isiolo and a growing share of Mombasa. Here is how to run an official search from abroad, what the result tells you, and what to do when your plot is not online yet.
2026-10-24 - Tax and law
Non-resident rental income tax in Kenya: what the Finance Act 2026 means for landlords abroad
The Finance Act 2026 created a self-declared 30% tax on gross rent for landlords who live outside Kenya. Here is who it applies to, when it is due, and how it sits next to the old withholding rule.
2026-10-24 - Fraud and verification
A clean land search is not enough: two 2026 fraud cases every Kenyan abroad should read
In 2026, two buyers lost KSh 2.4 million each on land deals that looked right on paper. One had even done a registry search. Here is what went wrong and the checks that would have caught it.
2026-10-23 - Neighborhoods
Kajiado group ranches: what to check before buying land from a ranch member
Buying from a member of one of the Kajiado group ranches means first finding out what the member actually holds. A share in an unsubdivided ranch is not a plot you can own. Here is how to tell the difference and when to walk away.
2026-10-19 - Buying from abroad
Estate agent commission rates in Kenya: what the law says an agent can charge
Estate agent commission rates in Kenya are set by a statutory scale, not by whatever the agent quotes. On a KSh 5 million sale the scale works out to about 3.7 per cent. Here is the scale for sales, purchases and lettings, and why the fee belongs in writing.
2026-10-12 - Neighborhoods
How to pay land rates in Kiambu County and check arrears from abroad
To pay land rates in Kiambu County you need the plot's parcel number, a county statement showing what is owed, and an official county payment channel. Here is how to check arrears from abroad and keep proof that holds up when you sell.
2026-10-05 - Building back home
KPLC new connection requirements: getting power to a new house while you are abroad
The KPLC new connection requirements are short: ID, KRA PIN, proof of land ownership, a sketch map and a licensed electrical contractor's certificates. The risk for owners abroad is the payment, not the paperwork.
2026-09-28 - Mortgages and money
Construction loans in Kenya: what you need before the bank releases money
A construction loan in Kenya is paid out in stages as the building goes up, each one checked before the next is released. Here is what banks ask for, how the stages work, and what that means if you are building from abroad.
2026-09-21 - Managing property from abroad
Distress for rent in Kenya: how landlords recover rent arrears lawfully
Distress for rent lets a Kenyan landlord recover arrears by seizing and selling a tenant's goods, but only through a licensed auctioneer and only by the rules. Here is the procedure, the goods that cannot be taken, and how to run it from abroad.
2026-09-14 - Land and plots
How to block a land sale in Kenya: placing a caution on a title
A caution registered at the land registry stops the Registrar from registering a sale without your consent or a court order. Who can lodge one, what it takes, the risk of a wrongful caution and how one is removed.
2026-09-07 - Tax and law
Transfer of land as a gift in Kenya: giving land to children or siblings
A gift of land in Kenya is registered like a sale, and stamp duty is charged on the value of the land unless the gift is between spouses or another exemption applies. Here is how it works and what parents abroad should plan for.
2026-08-31 - Building back home
Building a house in rural Kenya on family land: approvals and ownership first
Before the foundation goes in, find out whose name is on the title and get county development permission. Here is the order of steps for building a house in rural Kenya on family land, especially from abroad.
2026-08-24 - Land and plots
Land survey fees in Kenya: beacons, boundary disputes and what a surveyor does
There is no single national price list for land surveys in Kenya. Here is what drives the fee, one documented example from a court case, and how missing beacons and boundary disputes are handled under the law.
2026-08-17 - Managing property from abroad
Caretaker salary in Kenya per month: what to pay and what to put in writing
The legal minimum for a building caretaker in Kenya now starts at KSh 32,556.94 a month outside the towns, before housing. Here are the rates by area, what else you owe, and the contract a landlord abroad should have in place.
2026-08-10 - Mortgages and money
Land purchase loans in Kenya: what banks ask for when you buy a plot
Some Kenyan banks do lend for bare land, including to Kenyans abroad. Here is what they ask for, what title they need, and why the bank's own checks can protect you as much as the bank.
2026-08-03 - Buying from abroad
Buying land from a family member in Kenya: how to do it properly
Buying land from an uncle, cousin or sibling is still a land purchase under Kenyan law. The search, the written agreement, Land Control Board consent, stamp duty and the transfer all apply, and skipping them is how family deals get challenged later.
2026-07-27 - Land and plots
How to subdivide land in Kenya: steps, approvals and how long it takes
Subdividing one parcel into several titles in Kenya runs through a planner, the county, the Land Control Board for farmland, a licensed surveyor and the land registry. The order, the documents, the deadlines in law and the steps that need someone on the ground.
2026-07-20 - Tax and law
What happens after confirmation of grant in Kenya: getting inherited land into your name
A confirmed grant says who inherits the land, but the title stays in the late parent's name until someone lodges a transfer at the land registry. Here are the forms, documents, consents and timelines.
2026-07-13 - Building back home
Bill of quantities in Kenya: how to read a BOQ before you send building money
A bill of quantities turns your house plans into a priced list of every material and task. Here is how a BOQ in Kenya is laid out, which lines tend to grow, and how to use it to pay by stage from abroad.
2026-07-06 - Managing property from abroad
How to evict a tenant in Kenya legally, including from abroad
The notice you must give a tenant in Kenya depends on which law covers the tenancy. Here is how to tell, what the notice must say, where disputes go, and why changing the locks is the wrong move.
2026-06-29 - Land and plots
Family land disputes in Kenya: how siblings at home and abroad can settle them
Most family land disputes in Kenya start with an unwritten understanding between siblings. Here is the route from a family meeting to elders, mediation and court, and what the sibling abroad can do from where they are.
2026-06-22 - Fraud and verification
What is a green card in a Kenyan land search, and why it must match the title
The green card is the land register for a parcel, with every owner and every charge recorded against it. What it shows, how to get a certified copy, and what it means when it does not match the title you were sent.
2026-06-15 - Building back home
How to supervise construction works in Kenya when you live abroad
Photos are not proof of progress. How to supervise construction works in Kenya from abroad with approved plans, staged payments tied to inspections, an independent professional who signs off each stage, and live video checks.
2026-06-08 - Tax and law
Land still in a late parent's name: letters of administration in Kenya step by step
If the family land is still registered to a parent who died without a will, nobody can sell, subdivide or charge it until letters of administration are granted and confirmed. The steps, the timelines the law sets, and what you can do from abroad.
2026-06-01 - Fraud and verification
Is an allotment letter a legal document in Kenya? Allotment letters and share certificates explained
An allotment letter is a real document, but the Supreme Court has said it is only an offer and cannot pass title. What allotment letters and share certificates prove, and what to check before you pay.
2026-05-25 - Buying from abroad
Sale agreement for land in Kenya: the clauses that protect a buyer abroad
A land sale agreement in Kenya must be in writing, signed and witnessed. What protects a buyer abroad is what it says about the deposit, the completion period, default and refunds.
2026-05-18 - Fraud and verification
How to check registered estate agents in Kenya before you pay anyone
The Estate Agents Registration Board gazetted its 2026 list of registered agents on 27 March. Here is how to check an agent against it, what to ask for, and what the check cannot tell you.
2026-05-11