Zanzibar to Link National ID Cards to Land Records Under LARIS
Written on
Zanzibar plans to link its Zan ID identity cards to land ownership records inside the LARIS digital land system, a move officials say will cut fraud and land disputes across Unguja and Pemba.
Zanzibar will link its national identity card, the Zan ID, to land ownership records held in the Land Registration and Information System (LARIS), as part of efforts to improve record accuracy, prevent fraud and reduce land disputes. LARIS project coordinator Ibrahim Khalid Mambo announced the plan on Thursday, October 29, 2026, during a training session for journalists on the project.
Mambo said identity card details will be entered into LARIS and matched to the relevant land records, allowing authorities to verify ownership and plot information and to block the unlawful use of land documents. He stressed that the link would not be a condition for ownership: people without a Zan ID will still be able to own land, while the aim is to give every landowner accurate records.
The system consolidates land ownership, surveying, urban planning, registration and land-use information currently scattered across different public institutions, a step officials expect to simplify access to land services. LARIS is being implemented by French firm IGN FI in collaboration with local government experts.
The two-year project runs from June 2026 to May 2028 and has nine components, including a land information centre and service centres across Zanzibar's regions, improved survey reference points, preparation of geographical and land data, a master land-use plan for Unguja, digitisation of land documents and staff training. LARIS communications and capacity-building officer Jacqueline Laisser said land identified as being under dispute will not be subject to further action until the matter is resolved, to prevent compounding complications, and that the system will support better land policy and urban management at shehia level.
Mambo said Zanzibar continues to face unplanned urban growth, uncontrolled construction and improper land use, which put pressure on access to social services. The initiative follows the recent launch of Zanzibar's Urban and Housing Policy, which seeks to guide urban growth and support safe, affordable housing; land expert Raya Akida Haji said the policy and LARIS together would help address unplanned development and improper land use.