How to Verify a Kenya Developer's Project From the UK, US, or UAE

You are in London or Houston or Dubai. A developer in Kenya is marketing a property development to you on Facebook, through your church or community group, or directly over WhatsApp.

The pictures look great. The price seems reasonable. Your cousin says the developer is trustworthy. You want to invest in Kenya.

How do you verify this developer and this project from where you are, without flying to Kenya?

Here is the specific process. Every step can be done remotely.

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Remote Step 1: Business Registration Service Search

Go to the Business Registration Service portal: bizsearch.co.ke

Search the company name. This is public access and requires no registration.

What to check:

Does the company exist?

When was it registered? (A company registered last month with an apparently large project is a red flag.)

Who are the directors?

Do the directors' names match the people mentioned in the marketing and on the website?

Is the company name on the portal the same as the name on all marketing materials? (Sometimes marketing uses a trading name different from the registered name.)

Note the certificate of incorporation number and the company registration number. These appear on the portal.

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Remote Step 2: Ardhisasa Title Search (If the Project Is in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, or Murang'a)

If you have the LR number from the marketing materials, you can try to run an Ardhisasa search. Note: this requires a Kenya national ID for registration.

If you have a family member or trusted friend in Kenya who has an active Ardhisasa account, ask them to run the search on your behalf.

If you cannot run the search yourself:

Ask the developer for a copy of the official search result. A legitimate developer should be able to provide a recent official search on the development land. If they refuse, ask why.

Order a Litmus verification (from anywhere in the world, digitally, by providing the LR number and county). Litmus's verifiers attend the registry physically. You get the result within 72 hours.

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Remote Step 3: Check the LR Number Against the Claimed County

Take the LR number format and confirm it is consistent with the county the developer claims.

Nairobi LR numbers have specific formats. Kiambu, Kwale, Machakos all have different formats.

If the marketing says the project is in Nairobi but the LR number is in a Machakos format, you are looking at the Willstone Homes pattern. Do not proceed until the discrepancy is explained.

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Remote Step 4: NCA Registration Check

Go to nca.go.ke and search for the developer company or the project name.

NCA's website has a contractor and project database. Confirm the developer holds valid NCA registration.

If the project is large enough to have a project licence, confirm it exists.

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Remote Step 5: Google, YouTube, and Facebook Group Search

Search the developer's name + "Kenya" + "fraud" or "complaint" or "delay" in Google.

Check YouTube for any explainer or complaint videos about the developer.

Search for the developer in Kenya diaspora Facebook groups (Kenya Land Buyers Forum, Kenya Diaspora Land Investors, and similar groups). These groups frequently contain warnings and complaints about specific developers that will not appear in any official search.

What you are looking for: are there documented complaints from previous buyers? Are buyers reporting delayed delivery, unresponsive management, or worse?

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Remote Step 6: Ask for Verified References From Past Buyers

Ask the developer directly: can you connect me with three buyers who have completed purchases and received titles?

A legitimate developer with completed projects has satisfied buyers who are willing to speak. Ask for names and a way to contact them independently.

Do not accept a Zoom call with "satisfied customers" arranged by the developer. Ask to contact them yourself, independently, outside the developer's presence.

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Remote Step 7: Order a Litmus Field Verification

A Litmus full field verification (KSh 25,500) combines everything a diaspora buyer cannot do remotely:

A named verifier physically visits the development site.

The verifier confirms the site exists and is in the location claimed in the marketing.

The verifier documents what is currently on the site (bare land, foundations, construction in progress).

The verifier confirms the LR number corresponds to the physical land at the location described.

The verifier's findings are signed, traceable, and delivered to you digitally within 72 hours.

You can order from anywhere with a phone or computer. You need the LR number and the county. Litmus handles the physical verification in Kenya.

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The Honest Limit

These steps verify that the developer is real, the company is registered, the land title is clean, and the site exists where claimed.

They do not verify that the developer will complete the project on time, that the project will meet the quality shown in the marketing, or that the developer will not face financial difficulties after you pay.

Off-plan investment is inherently riskier than buying a finished, standing property. The verification steps above reduce the risk from "I have no idea if this is real" to "I have confirmed the fundamentals are genuine." What remains is project delivery risk, which is managed through contract terms and deposit protection — areas where a Kenya advocate's advice is essential.

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This article is for general information only. It does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified Kenya advocate before any off-plan property investment.