Unveiling the app helping widows to obtain land titles
Nalarusi Lesokoyo, a widow from Ol Donyiro Ward in Isiolo County is among women who received land titles after the area was gazetted as an adjudication area. The Kenya Land Alliance has launched an app called 'Haki Ardhi' to empower women on land ownership.
What you need to know:
- The Kenya Land Alliance recently launched an innovative mobile application called 'Haki Ardhi' to empower women to navigate the often-complex process of acquiring formal land titles.
- The app has changed Beatrice Njoga's life; she benefitted from it during the pilot stage.
- Faith Alube, the CEO of KLA says the app was born after realisation that many women lack the legal or technical knowledge to navigate platforms like e-citizen effectively.
In a move to address the long-standing issue of gender disparities in land ownership, the Kenya Land Alliance (KLA) has launched an innovative mobile application called 'Haki Ardhi'. The app aims to empower women across the country to navigate the often-complex process of acquiring formal land titles, ensuring their rightful ownership and inheritance.
The launch event, held at Ufungamano House in Nairobi on International Women's Day, was a celebration of women's empowerment and a testament to the transformative power of technology. Among the attendees was Beatrice Njoga, a resident of Taita Taveta, whose life was forever changed by the app during its pilot phase.
Beatrice's story is a poignant reminder of the challenges many widows face when it comes to land rights. After losing her husband when her children were still young, she found herself in a precarious situation, working as a gemstone miner and struggling to make ends meet.
When she could no longer afford rent, she was forced to return to her husband's rural home, only to face opposition from her in-laws, who were unwilling to grant her access to the land.
Land rights
"I knew I had to be courageous for my children," Beatrice recalled. With the assistance of a human rights organisation and the Haki Ardhi app, she was able to navigate the legal process and secure a formal title deed for the land, a victory that has inspired her to encourage other widows to fight for their rights.
“I would like to urge young widows to be bold and resilient in their fight for land rights. You must persevere and be determined, especially if your children are young. Fight for what's yours,” she said, her words echoing the sentiments of countless women who have faced similar battles.
Faith Alube, the CEO of KLA, explained the genesis of the app, born out of the realisation that many women lack the legal or technical knowledge to navigate platforms like e-citizen effectively.
"Most women are locked out of inheriting land either from their late husbands' or fathers' simply because they're women. When such women want to fight for their land, they are met with a number of barriers," she said.
Anonymous registration
To address this issue, KLA embarked on an information-gathering journey in Taita Taveta and Kakamega counties, interviewing women and women's rights organizations. The insights gained from these interviews were instrumental in shaping the app's functionalities.
“The application will help women to report land rights injustices in a timely manner. It will also link women with people and organisations able to help them find solutions, such as the Land Control Board and gender officers,” Alube explained.
“Haki will also help us collect evidence for women's land rights advocacy. The data will also be harnessed to drive data-driven approaches to policy creation.”
With its user-friendly interface and anonymous registration options, the Haki Ardhi app aims to empower women across Kenya, regardless of their internet access or fears of reprisal. For those without internet connectivity, the app offers a free SMS service, ensuring that no woman is left behind in the fight for land rights.
