Abstract:
Land records are integral to human rights and entitlements as access to land records
ensures economic protection by providing access to livelihoods. The right to access land
records forms the basis for other numerous rights and entitlements. The study
investigated the role of land records in the protection of citizens‟ rights and entitlements
in the Ministry of Lands in Bungoma County with a view to coming up with a best practice framework to integrate management of land records in the protection of citizens‟
rights and entitlements. The specific objectives of the study were to: carry out a Business
Process Analysis (BPA) of the lands office to determine the functions performed and
types of records generated; determine how the land records are managed; determine how
the existing records management practices in the lands office affect citizens‟ rights and
entitlements; investigate the potential applications of Information Communications
Technologies in the management of land records for enhanced protection of citizens‟
rights and entitlements; determine the challenges faced in the management of land
records and; propose a best-practice framework for the management of land records for
the protection of citizens‟ rights and entitlements. The study was informed by the
Control, Access, Disposal, Storage and Sustain (CADSS) model. The study research
design was qualitative design and study population consisted of 32 respondents. Data was
collected through the use of structured face-to-face interviews and observation methods
and analyzed according to relevant themes. The findings revealed that there existed an
obvious correlation between the functions, transactions and the land records generated in
the Ministry of Lands, land records are integral to human rights and entitlements, the
existing records management practices though support the protection of citizens‟ rights
and entitlements, but not satisfactorily, ICTs can be applied in the management of land
records to enhance the protection of citizens‟ rights and entitlements. Among the
challenges that hamper effective management of land records included incompetency of
records staff, lack of organizational plans as well as lack of basic records management
policies and tools. The study recommended the need for the Principal Secretary and the
Cabinet Secretary in-charge of Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to
embark on a resource mobilization campaign to support the development of a Records
Management Policy, modernization of the Ministry of Lands, Bungoma County, adequate
funding for management of land records, outreach programme and automation of the
Lands Office. Best-practice framework for the management of land records and
protection of citizens‟ rights and entitlements is proposed and areas for further research
suggested.