Ministry to use space technology in land mapping

Lands CS Jacob Kaimenyi addresses journalists at Three Steers Hotel in Meru on July 7, 2017. Prof Kaimenyi has said the ministry will employ space technology in land mapping. PHOTO | PHOEBE OKAL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • He said space technology is a fantastic tool for educating the youth because of the many disciplines involved and the expertise required.
  • Prof Kaimenyi said satellites had allowed the ministry to study oceans, the atmosphere, clouds, weather, rainforests, deserts, cities, ice and the planet in general.
  • He added that the technologies guide social, political and economic development.

The Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning will incorporate space technology to get accurate information on land mapping.

Already, the ministry has benefited from the technology, especially on geospatial data acquisition and processing.

Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi said the Kenya National Titling Programme has been using space technology, where high resolution satellite images help ascertain property boundary rights registration and issuance of land title deeds to millions of applicants.

He said space technology is a fantastic tool for educating the youth because of the many disciplines involved and the expertise required.

MAPPING

“The ministry has been able to issue title deeds with accurate mapping details through use of this technology,” he said in a speech read on his behalf by Mr Julius Kandie.

Prof Kaimenyi said satellites had allowed the ministry to study oceans, the atmosphere, clouds, weather, rainforests, deserts, cities, ice and the planet in general.

“The past few decades have seen sophisticated space technologies being developed for capturing accurate, real-time information,” he said.

He added that the technologies guide social, political and economic development.

UNDERSTAND

Through space technologies, he said, humans are beginning to understand how pollution from cars, factories and household products affect the atmosphere, mainly by destroying the ozone layer that protects Earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

He said the ministry has benefited from space technology, adding that the country is developing a positioning system known as the Kenya Geodetic Reference Frame in line with the African Geodetic Reference Frame and the UN Global Geodetic Reference Frame.