Transparency is a critical component of a functioning land administration system with regards to the scarcity of clear and credible information on land availability, land rights and land transactions and the poor distribution of public information on land policy and institutions. The danger of corruption and inequalities are very real in land allocation

and management with consequences to the poor and vulnerable groups who often bear the consequences of such inequalities.

Consequently, the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) in partnership with the Land Policy Initiative (LPI), a joint programme of the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN)/UN-Habitat is hosting a three-day training of trainers workshop in transparency in land administration. The training workshop has attracted participants from government, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), farmers’ organizations, civil society organizations, professional organizations, academia and traditional authorities from our member states and beyond.

The opening ceremony of the training workshop was graced by GLTN’s Augustinus Clarissa, LPI’s Belay Demissie, RCMRD’s Dr. Rwiza (Director, Land Surveys and Management), Dr. Hussein Farah (Director General), the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands Affairs, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mr. Ntondo Lumuka Nantole, and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development, Kenya, Ms. Mariamu El Maawy who officially opened the training.

In her opening remarks, Ms. El Maawy underlined the importance of the training workshop. She said, “I wish to emphasize that this workshop is very timely and important. A key objective of this workshop must therefore be to equip the participants with the right skills, competencies and attitudes to be able to address emerging issues within the current context of land administration. I am alive to the reality of the many challenges that you face in the field as you strive to redefine your roles. As you deliberate and evaluate your approach to these challenges, you must not lose sight of the many opportunities that exist within the new land administration practices. This calls for unique and innovative approaches. We must therefore adopt strategies that will be effective in addressing concerns within a changing local and international context. In Kenya, in the last 10 years my Ministry has put in a lot of effort to make various reforms in the land sector through National Land Policy formulation, Constitutional changes in 2010 and enactment of a number of legislations such as the Land Act 2012, Land Registration Act 2012, National Land Commission Act 2011, Environment and Land Court Act 2011 and the Urban Areas and Cities Act 2011. All these are aimed at making land administration and management more efficient and transparent. We still continue with our efforts to reform and modernize our land record management systems, mapping and registration of titles to land.”

The overall objective of the workshop is to increase the capacity of participants on the importance of transparency in land administration by enhancing their understanding of land governance challenges and strengthen their ability to address issues of corruption within the land sector. RCMRD is a major implementing partner of the LPI and aims at strengthening the capacity of the major land actors to develop and implement land policy for secure land rights, poverty reduction, enhanced productivity and economic growth in Africa.

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