Nairobi City County has proposed new rules requiring the systematic capture of metadata for official records, as part of efforts to improve the management and retrieval of land and other county documents.
The proposal is contained in the Nairobi City County Government Records Management Policy, 2026, a draft framework that seeks to standardize how county records are created, stored, accessed, preserved and disposed of.
Under the proposed policy, metadata standards would apply when records are classified, and digital systems would be required to capture the information alongside the creation of each record.
“The transition toward digital governance has also exposed gaps in metadata standards, system interoperability, and preservation strategies, thereby threatening the authenticity, integrity, and accessibility of records,” reads part of the report.
Nairobi Draft Policy Requires Metadata for County Records
The county proposes a structured metadata system across its records to make documents easier to locate, classify and retrieve while strengthening their evidential trail.
Records would be required to contain key details including approval references, timestamps, authorship and responsible officers, version history, decision history and the context of the relevant business transaction.
The draft policy identifies land records among documents requiring stronger management systems. It proposes maintaining accurate cadastral records, lease registers, allocation registers and dispute-resolution records to help address risks of fraud, encroachment and loss of public assets.
Nairobi County also proposes moving from fragmented paper-based systems to secure digital platforms, including an Electronic Document and Records Management System.
The framework calls for the digitisation of physical records, secure electronic storage, controlled access, data backups and disaster-recovery measures.
The draft notes that land ownership documents are among the county’s vital records but are often stored alongside routine files without special protection, duplication or secure off-site storage, exposing them to risks of loss, theft, misplacement and destruction.
It also links the proposed reforms to legal requirements on transparency, access to information, data protection, and accountability, noting that proper records are essential for audits, investigations, service delivery, and protecting citizens’ rights.
Other Proposed Directives
The draft policy also proposes:
- Digitization and Encryption: Physical land deeds, titles and cadastral maps would be digitized through an Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS), with encrypted cloud backups to guard against loss, tampering and unauthorized access.
- Offsite Backups: Land ownership records would be classified as vital records, requiring offsite backups under the 3-2-1 backup rule. This would require three copies of records stored on two different media types, with one copy kept offsite.
- Standardized Indexing: The county would introduce standardized indexing and metadata requirements to make land records easier to trace and retrieve across its devolved units.
- Protection of Vital Records: Critical land documents would receive additional safeguards, including digitization, duplication and secure offsite storage, rather than being kept alongside routine administrative files.
- Fraud and Encroachment Controls: Better record management would address risks linked to missing, incomplete, or poorly indexed land records, including boundary disputes, encroachment, and administrative fraud.
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