Zanzibar launches LARIS to modernise land administration, strengthen ownership

ZANZIBAR: FOR generations, land in Zanzibar has been far more than property. It is a home, a source of livelihood, an inheritance passed between generations and, increasingly, an important investment asset. Managing such a valuable and limited resource, however, presents challenges.

Questions concerning boundaries, ownership, records, valuation, planning and land use can trigger disputes, delay development and complicate investment.

Addressing these issues requires reliable information and an administration system capable of keeping pace with Zanzibar’s changing needs.

The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar is now seeking to address some of these challenges through an ambitious digital transformation of land administration.

On July 27, 2026, the government officially launched the Zanzibar Land Administration and Registration Information System, known as LARIS.

The project is designed to establish a modern, integrated digital platform for managing land information across Unguja and Pemba.

Implemented by the Ministry of Lands and Housing, LARIS is intended to become the central system for collecting, processing, storing and sharing accurate information on land ownership, surveying, valuation, registration, urban and village planning and other landrelated uses.

At its heart is a practical objective: Establishing reliable information about who owns what, where it is located and how it can legally and sustainably be used.

Speaking at the launch in Kigunda, North Unguja, Second Vice-President Hemed Suleiman Abdulla, representing President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, described the project as a major step in transforming land governance.

He said the government had already taken measures to strengthen land governance by improving land policies and laws, developing institutions responsible for land administration, and building officials’ capacity in service delivery and dispute resolution.

LARIS, he explained, would move these efforts into a new era by replacing paper records with an integrated digital system.

Managing large volumes of paper documents and fragmented information is a major challenge in land administration.

A single digital platform could make information easier to organise, access and use across relevant institutions. The project has several interconnected components.

These include establishing a Zanzibar Land Information Centre, developing a geodetic reference system, creating geographical and land information datasets, preparing a Spatial Development Master Plan, digitising existing land records and establishing an Integrated Land Information System.

It will also cover land adjudication and registration, change management and staff capacity building, system maintenance and sustainability, as well as overall project management.

The expected benefits extend beyond administrative efficiency. Mr Abdulla said stronger land administration could increase investor confidence, improve the business environment and reduce land disputes.

He also highlighted the possibility of enabling citizens to use their rights to land as security when seeking loans. For entrepreneurs, farmers and household owners, this could give land greater economic value.

Instead of being simply a place to live or cultivate, properly recognised land could become a formally documented asset capable of supporting economic activity, including access to finance.

Executive Secretary of the Zanzibar Land Commission, Mr Mussa Kombo Bakari, explained that the various components were intended to establish a comprehensive foundation for modern land administration. The scale of the undertaking is substantial.

The project provides for the surveying of 25,000 land parcels, while specialised aircraft will collect aerial information covering both Unguja and Pemba.

Project Manager for French company IGNFI, Aurelie Milledrogues, said the aerial surveying exercise would cover the islands and was expected to take about 24 months.

She praised cooperation between IGNFI and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar during the preparatory stages and said the company was committed to implementing the agreement in the wider interests of Zanzibar.

The project officially entered implementation on June 12, 2026, with IGNFI experts already working alongside government specialists during the inception phase.

From this stage onward, its effectiveness will ultimately be judged by whether the technical infrastructure produces practical improvements for residents.

For citizens, the value of LARIS will not be measured primarily by sophisticated databases, maps or aerial surveys, but by whether owning and using land becomes easier and more secure.

The project aims to identify and register legitimate land-use rights and establish a unified record of land that has been planned, surveyed, identified, registered and valued.

Such records could make a meaningful difference when residents need proof of ownership, want to transfer property, seek to develop land or wish to use a land-use title as collateral for a loan.

Clear and accessible information can also help reduce uncertainty surrounding transactions and ownership.

These improvements are particularly relevant as Zanzibar continues to experience urban growth, tourism development and increasing pressure on land. Effective planning is therefore becoming more important.

The government says LARIS will support better urban planning, modern settlements and more attractive, well-planned cities.

Minister for Lands and Housing, Rahma Kassim Ali, said the project demonstrated the government’s commitment to proper management of Zanzibar’s land resources, supported by strong infrastructure.

She also praised institutions that contributed to bringing the project to its launch stage, saying the system would create opportunities for lawful ownership and appropriate land use.

The economic objectives are similarly broad. According to the project objectives, LARIS is expected to improve land transactions and the collection of property-related taxes, promote efficient land use, strengthen investment and support tourism.

It is also expected to help protect environmental resources that could contribute to emerging economic activities, including ecotourism.

However, technology alone cannot resolve land-management challenges.

The success of LARIS will depend heavily on the participation of citizens and institutions that create, use or administer land information. Accurate records require reliable data, effective procedures, capable personnel and cooperation among institutions.

The project’s ambitions align with Zanzibar’s Development Vision 2050 and national land policies and laws. Its social objective is especially significant: reducing disputes and strengthening peace and security by ensuring that information about ownership and boundaries is accurate.

Ultimately, LARIS is not simply about computers, maps, aircraft or databases. It is about building a more coherent system for understanding, recording and managing one of Zanzibar’s most important resources.

If implemented effectively, the system could help turn land information into a practical foundation for secure ownership, orderly development, investment and sustainable use across Unguja and Pemba.