Ask anyone in Kenya who has bought land and they will tell you the same thing. Finding the plot is the easy part. The paperwork is where people lose money.
We sell land in Ngong. We would still rather you checked us properly than took our word for it, because a seller who does not want to be checked is telling you something important.
Here is how to do it.
Start with the title, not the plot
Before you agree to a site visit, ask the seller for a copy of the title deed. Write down two things: the title number, and the name of the registered owner.
If a seller will not share this before you travel, that is your answer. Stop there. A genuine seller has nothing to hide in those two lines.
Do an official search and know where to do it
Kenya has an online land system called Ardhisasa. It works well, but it is not everywhere yet. As of 2026 it is fully live for Nairobi and Murang'a, with Kiambu, Isiolo, Mombasa and Machakos in rollout.
Ngong sits in Kajiado County, which is not yet on Ardhisasa. So for land in Ngong, Kimuka, Kiserian or Rongai, you do the search in person at the Kajiado Lands Registry. Most generic guides online miss this and send people to a portal that cannot help them.
What you need: Form RL 26 (the official search application), a copy of the title deed, your national ID, and the search fee of KES 500. Results usually come back in one to three working days.
A clean search shows the seller named as the registered owner, with no caveats, charges or cautions against the land. If anything on that certificate differs from what you were told, stop the transaction. Do not let anyone explain it away over the phone.
Match the name on the title to the person selling
The name on the search certificate should match the ID of the person or company taking your money. If it does not, ask why.
There are legitimate reasons — a company selling on behalf of directors, a power of attorney, an estate being administered. Every one of them comes with documents. Ask to see them. “The owner is my uncle” is not a document.
Walk the beacons with your own surveyor
Beacons are the concrete markers that show where your plot begins and ends. A plot without beacons is a plot without agreed boundaries, and boundary disputes in Kenya can outlast the people who start them.
Hire a private surveyor, not the seller's, and have them confirm the beacons on the ground match the survey plan on paper. It costs a fraction of the plot and it is the cheapest insurance you will ever buy.
Check that land rates and rent are cleared
Unpaid land rates and land rent follow the land, not the previous owner. If they are outstanding when you buy, they become your bill. Ask for a rates clearance certificate before any money moves.
Pay through a lawyer. Never to a personal number.
This is the single most important line in this article.
A conveyancing lawyer holds your money in a client account until the transfer is complete. That leaves a trail and gives you somewhere to go if things go wrong. Money sent by M-Pesa to a personal number leaves no such trail, and recovering it is close to impossible.
If a seller pushes you towards paying an individual directly, treat it as a red flag regardless of how well the site visit went.
Five questions to ask any seller - including us.
Can I see a copy of the title deed before I visit? A yes should be immediate.
Is the title in the company's name or an individual's? Either can be fine. Both need paperwork.
Are the beacons in place, and can I bring my own surveyor? Hesitation here is meaningful.
Are land rates and land rent cleared? Ask for the certificate, not a promise.
Which lawyer handles the transfer, and can I use my own? You should always be allowed your own.
What this looks like at Waridi Scenic Phase 2
Our plots in Kimuka, Ngong are 50 by 100, at KES 1.2M. The title deed is ready before you pay anything. The beacons are already in place, so you can walk your own boundaries on the day you visit. Water and electricity are connected, and there are neighbours who have already built and moved in — which tells you more than any brochure can.
It is 45 minutes from Nairobi CBD. Bring your lawyer. Bring your surveyor. Bring whoever you trust.
Book a free site visit — no pressure, no deposit, and nobody will chase you afterwards.
Not sure what the plot should cost in the first place? Read our breakdown of what KES 1.2M actually buys you in Ngong in 2026.
