Beacons (boundary beacons)

Every registered parcel appears on a map: either the Registry Index Map (RIM), which shows approximate boundaries, or a deed plan, which shows surveyed fixed boundaries. Beacons are how those lines are marked on the ground.

When land is subdivided, a licensed surveyor places new beacons for each new plot and records them in the mutation. Over time beacons get moved, buried or removed, especially on vacant plots. "Beacon pointing" (or "showing the beacons") is when a surveyor finds the beacons and confirms them against the map, so the buyer knows exactly what they are buying.

The Land Registration Act 2012 expects owners to maintain boundary features and deals with interference with them. Boundary disputes between neighbours go first to the Land Registrar, who can call on the survey records.

Listings often say "beacons in place" or "beacons available". That is useful, but only a surveyor working for you can confirm the beacons are the right ones.

General and fixed boundaries. Most rural parcels on a Registry Index Map have general boundaries: the map shows roughly where the line is, and hedges, fences or paths on the ground may be the real boundary. Parcels with a deed plan have fixed boundaries tied to surveyed points, so the beacons can be replaced exactly if they are lost. Knowing which kind you have tells you how much weight to give the beacons you are shown.

• Satellite towns (Kitengela, Ruiru, Juja, Syokimau): plots from subdivided farms often have beacons placed recently by the land company's surveyor; confirm them with your own surveyor.
• Older farmland: boundaries may follow hedges, roads or rivers on the registry map rather than surveyed beacons, so the map may show only approximate lines.
• Towns with surveyed plots: deed plans give fixed boundaries, and the beacons should match them exactly.