MUKIRIA TECHNICAL TRAINING INSTITUTE

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND CIVIL ENGINEERING

FIXED BOUNDARY SURVEY OF NYWERI MTTI FIELD BY CLOSED LINK

TRAVERSE.

NAME: NKATHA ESTHER KARITHI

INDEX NO.: 3181010522

A FINAL YEAR PROJECT

PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED FOR PARTIAL FULFILLMENT AND

AWARD OF DIPLOMA IN LAND SURVEY.

NOVEMBER SERIES, 2023.

i
 DECLARATION
I Nkatha Esther Karithi hereby declare that this project is my original work and effort and has not
been submitted to the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) or any other institution for
the award of Diploma in Land Survey or any other purpose.

Nkatha Esther Karithi ... …………………… …………………..

Name of student Signature Date

Mr. Martin Gikunda

.................................. ................................... ...............................

Name of Supervisor Signature Date

ii
 DEDICATION
I dedicate this project first and foremost to Almighty God has given me strength, ability and good
health to carry out this project and conquer the challenges that I came across. Secondly is to my
parents Mr. and Mrs. Girvosio Karithi for continuous support; financially, physically and mentally
and also to my fellow colleagues who tirelessly supported me in data collection and also helped
with information. I also dedicate this project to my supervisors Mr. Antony Koech, Mr. Vincent
Kiptanui and Mr. Martin Gikunda for their continuous advices throughout the process. May God
bless you abundantly.

iii
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
I would like to extend my sincere and heartfelt thanks towards all those who have helped in making
this project. Without their active guidance, help, corporation and encouragement, I would not have
been able to present the project on time.

Firstly, sincere gratitude and thanksgiving to Almighty God for love, protection, care and
providence throughout the project.

I extend sincere gratitude to my supervisors Mr. Antony Koech, Mr. Vincent Kiptanui and Mr.
Martin Gikunda for their moral support and guidance during the tenure of my project.

I also acknowledge with a deep sense of reverence, my gratitude towards my parents and other
faculty members of the school for their valuable suggestions given to me in completing the project.

iv
 ABSTRACT
Fixed boundary is one which has been accurately surveyed so that a surveyor can, from survey
measurement, accurately re-establish any corner monumentation that might get lost. This is very
important because it prevents boundary dispute and any obligation that is attached to general
boundary survey. This is after visiting Nyweri MTTI field that I found out that it has no defined
boundary which might lead to encroachment by abuttals, there’s also no security of the parcel
because I also found that people walking through the parcel as if there was a public road. I decided
to carry out this project in order to help the institute with the correct boundary limits in case of
fencing. This project employed the principle of survey of working from whole to part, whereby
traverse was run from the institute to the field by closed link traverse in order to extend the control
points that were used in placement of corner beacons. I chose this method of traversing after
running closed loop several times without success due to error accumulation. I preferred closed
link because it’s more accurate than closed loop traverse and evades error accumulation. This was
a successful method of carrying out this project. During this research, there was a lot of challenges
that were encountered and these includes; unfavorable weather condition especially the rain which
affected this project in such a way that some instrument stations were being covered by soil leading
to repetition of the observation and other stations that were marked by the nails were pulled out by
people. After running the traverse, the bearing sheet was prepared and the angular error which was
found to be 1’ 08’’ was then distributed within the 34 stations of the traverse. The coordinates
were computed and the misclosure was found to be within the allowable limit which was then
adjusted by Bowditch method. The linear misclosure was found to be -0.023 in northing and -
0.088 in easting. This project has helped me to learn how to carry out fixed boundary and also how
to the Total Station. Has also helped me in transferring my theoretical knowledge into real life
practical hence promoting my survey experience. This data was used in plotting the cadastral plan
and compute the area of the parcel. This data was also recorded in survey computation sheet for
the purpose of reference. In conclusion, the project was successfully carried out and objectives
were achieved by coming with a cadastral file of Nyweri MTTI field.

v
Table of Contents
DECLARATION .............................................................................................................................ii
DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT.................................................................................................................iv
ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................................v
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................................... ix
MTTI: Mukiria Technical Training Institute. ................................................................................. ix
KNEC: Kenya National Examination Council. .............................................................................. ix
TS: Total Station. ............................................................................................................................ ix
PWD: Public Works Development. ................................................................................................ ix
EDM: Electronic Distance Measurement. ...................................................................................... ix
GIS: Geographic Information System. ........................................................................................... ix
LIS: Land Information System. ...................................................................................................... ix
RTA: Registration of Title Acts. ..................................................................................................... ix
PID: Preliminary Index Diagrams. ................................................................................................. ix
RIMs: Registry Index Maps. ........................................................................................................... ix
LIST OF TABLES. ..........................................................................................................................x
LIST OF FIGURES. ....................................................................................................................... xi
CHAPTER ONE. ............................................................................................................................ 1
1.1.0 INTRODUCTION. ............................................................................................................. 1
1.1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION. .................................................................................. 1
1.2.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT ................................................................................................ 2
1.3.0 OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................................... 3
1.3.1 MAIN OBJECTIVE. .......................................................................................................... 3
1.3.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES. ................................................................................................. 3
1.4.0 JUSTIFICATION ............................................................................................................... 3
CHAPTER TWO. ........................................................................................................................... 5
2.0 INTRODUCTION. ................................................................................................................ 5
vi
 2.1. LITERATURE REVIEW. .................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Cadastral Boundary System in Kenya. .................................................................................. 9
2.2.1 The Fixed Boundary. ........................................................................................................ 10
2.2.2 The General Boundary ..................................................................................................... 10
2.2.3 The Fixed General Boundary ........................................................................................... 11
2.3 Traverse survey ................................................................................................................... 12
Types of traverse: ...................................................................................................................... 14
2.3 Critic of the study. ............................................................................................................... 15
2.4 Conclusion. .......................................................................................................................... 15
CHAPTER THREE. ..................................................................................................................... 17
3.0 INTRODUCTION. .............................................................................................................. 17
3.1 MATERIAL AND INSTRUMENTATION. ...................................................................... 17
Field note book. ..................................................................................................................... 17
Pen. ........................................................................................................................................ 17
Nails. ...................................................................................................................................... 17
Survey computation sheet..................................................................................................... 17
Total Station. ......................................................................................................................... 17
Tripod stand. .......................................................................................................................... 18
Pole and prism ....................................................................................................................... 18
Tape measure. ....................................................................................................................... 18
3.2 DATA AND DATA PROCESSING................................................................................... 18
3.3 METHODOLOGY. ............................................................................................................. 19
3.4 STUDY AREA. ................................................................................................................... 20
CHAPTER FOUR. ........................................................................................................................ 21
4.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 21
4.1 DATA PROCESSING. ....................................................................................................... 21
4.2 DATA ANALYSIS. ............................................................................................................ 21
4.3 RESULTS............................................................................................................................ 21
4.3.1 CADASTRAL FILE. ....................................................................................................... 22
vii
Index to computations. .................................................................................................................. 22
Figure 1-4 Traverse Bearing Sheet ......................................................................................... 25
4.3.2 CADASTRAL PLAN. ............................................................................................................ 36
Surveyor’s Report. ..................................................................................................................... 37
CHAPTER FIVE. ......................................................................................................................... 42
5.1 CONCLUTION. .................................................................................................................. 42
5.2RECOMMENDATION. ...................................................................................................... 42

viii
 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

MTTI: Mukiria Technical Training Institute.

KNEC: Kenya National Examination Council.

TS: Total Station.

PWD: Public Works Development.

EDM: Electronic Distance Measurement.

GIS: Geographic Information System.

LIS: Land Information System.

RTA: Registration of Title Acts.

PID: Preliminary Index Diagrams.

RIMs: Registry Index Maps.

ix
 LIST OF TABLES.
Table 1-2: cadastral process in Kenya.

Table 2-2: Purposes of control points.

Table 3-2: Purposes of traverse survey.

Table 4-2: Steps involved in traverse field work.

Table 5-4 Final coordinate list.

x
 LIST OF FIGURES.
Figure 1-4 Traverse Bearing Sheet. ............................................................................................... 25
Figure 2-4 Adjustments By Bowditch. ........................................................................................... 27
Figure 3-4 Coordinates list Computation...................................................................................... 31
Figure 4-4 Datum Join, Traverse and Accuracy Computation. ..................................................... 32
Figure 5-4 Consistency Checks. ..................................................................................................... 33
Figure 6-4 Area Computation. ...................................................................................................... 35

xi
 CHAPTER ONE.
1.1.0 INTRODUCTION.
1.1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
Land survey is the art and science of establishing physical limits and exact field measurement
of the land. Land surveys used to map the shape and boundaries of piece of land. Cadastral
survey is one of the survey branches which involves interpreting and advising on; boundary
locations, the status of land and the rights, restrictions and interest in property.

However, cadastral survey is classified into; fixed boundary survey and general boundary
survey. Fixed boundary survey is the survey that involves accurate measurement and
mathematical determination of the parcel. The surveyor can accurately re-establish any corner
monument that mighty get lost. It is most convenient to avoid disputes. General boundary
survey on the other hand, an imaginary line dividing one person’s property from another. It is
identified on the ground by physical features which forms the actual boundary. General
boundary is shared and maintained by both neighbors while the fixed boundary is self-
independent.

Land and its resources have been the basis of wealth for most of the societies since the
beginning of civilization. The management of such resources is the key and major theme in
most of societies. Before the evolution of survey most of the society used to define their
boundaries by traditional fence. Survey has come up with the best boundary extent
determination. The boundaries defined by physical features and traditional fences has caused
a lot of disputes among the society and therefore cadastral survey comes with the resolutions
towards settling the boundary disputes.

In the early Mesopotamia {4000BC}, Egypt {3400BC}, China {700AD}, and southern India
{100AD} land was the major source of income through taxation. Land taxation existed based
on the yields and this was determined by survey records. The Norman conquest of England in
{1066AD} entrenched the feudal system in Europe while magna carta {1215AD} was the first
revolutionary step towards the establishment of private land ownership. The industrial
revolution of 18th century in Europe accelerated the development of the individual land tenure
system and introduced significant land management changes. These include the enclosure
movement across Europe and the United Kingdom, which consolidated the tiny, inefficient,
parcels of feudal land into large and more productive plots.

This revolution changed the human relationship with land. England takes credit as the first
Centre of industrialization due to its well developed and independent legal system, which
provided security of tenure for private property development. There are two types of
boundaries that determines the type of survey to be executed on a parcel. These are; general

1
 boundary and fixed boundaries as was mentioned earlier. General boundary is defined by
physical features which forms the actual boundary; these features are such as fences and walls
etc. fixed boundary is the one which has been accurately surveyed and mathematically
determined so that a surveyor, can, from survey measurements, accurately re-establish any
corner monument that might get lost. A surveyor, usually delineates and demarcates a precise
line.

In fixed boundary mathematical computation are done to find the coordinates, distances and
bearings through polar and join computations. These coordinates, distances and bearings are
used to place a beacon on the ground. A beacon is a monument commonly made of concrete
and iron pin at the center to mark the point defined by the coordinates.

In this project closed link traverse method is considered, whereby a traverse will be run from
MTTI to Nyweri field by extension and densification of control points in order to make easier
to fix the boundary. The transfer of control points will provide a convenient orientation during
data collection.

1.2.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT

The main problem with Nyweri field is that it has no legal defined limits of the extent of the
parcel. This may lead to encroachments by the abuttals. No traditional fence or any physical
feature to define general boundary either. There are also no control points around Nyweri area
which can help in subsequent surveys or construction works.

Due to area approximation, Nyweri field might be encroached by the abuttals which may cause
disputes in future if action is not taken. Nyweri field has no survey plan and therefore one
should be produced for purposes of re-tracing the boundary and also for future references. This
also may act as an evidence in court or anywhere else in case of any issues that might arise in
future.

The openness of Nyweri field, can also not provide security for the development of the school.
Therefore, the school might have to install a perimeter wall to guarantee security in any

2
 development that might take place on that parcel. By fixing the boundary and placing the
beacons, this will make it easier to build the perimeter wall.

1.3.0 OBJECTIVES
1.3.1 MAIN OBJECTIVE.
To establish control points for subsequent surveys or construction works around Nyweri area.

1.3.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES.

 To determine location, shape of the surveyed area, for mapping or other purposes and
to ensure that the survey data is reliable and can be used for future reference by
providing coordinates.
 To produce detailed and accurate cadastral map and come up with a cadastral file
showing all computations carried out throughout the survey.
 To transfer the theoretical knowledge taught in class into application in real life
situations.

1.4.0 JUSTIFICATION
This project will bring into knowledge the acreage of the parcel and this may help in case the
school want to develop maybe classes, they will put into consideration of economical way of
saving and utilizing the available space. It will also help in subdivision of the parcel into required
portions for different departments or different activities. For instance; a perimeter wall may need
to be installed, then it would lie within the defined fixed boundary indicated by beacons placed
without encroaching with the abuttals or leaving any space out of the defined area.

This placement of beacon will save from boundary disputes and will help the society to stay at
piece with each other. The extent of the parcel is guaranteed by the government of Kenya as
indicated in the survey plan. The surveyor can accurately and mathematically re-establish the lost
monuments from the given measurement. Apparently, any plots that has fixed boundary, its value

3
eventually increases. Therefore, this parcel will increase in price in case of any transactions to take
place.

4
 CHAPTER TWO.
2.0 INTRODUCTION.
In this chapter, it entails the views and opinions of the cadastral survey from other researchers
and comparison of what has been done in the previous projects. There are different methods of
carrying out cadastral survey with different machines. There will be identification of gaps left
by other previous researchers on the same field. Cadastral data is essential is an essential
component in land administration system and plays an important role in securing land and
property rights. Cadastral surveying measurements provide basis for demarcation of legal
boundaries of parcels.

2.1. LITERATURE REVIEW.

Land is an aspect which covers the totality of the environment and its fundamental for human
survival. It’s true that land is very essential commodity because it provides us with working
space, biological and natural capital and other resources that enables us to fulfill our needs.
Most importantly it is a source of food, clothing and other raw materials

Land can also be defined as a resource that encompasses the natural resource used in
production. (Encyclopaedia Britannica). From the land we obtain, the food, shelter and also
place of work. In the near past, land used for settlement and cultivation was in abundant in
direct proportion to the size of the population, and therefore there was little need for land
related information, management and administration.

Currently, with the growth of agriculture and completion for the available space, land rights
and controls over land use began to emerge. Thus, the implementation of cadastres and
cadastral surveys and mapping arose. For these prescribed reasons, there arises a great need
for land protection and guarantee of the ownership of rights and interest.

The origin of the cadastral survey in Kenya back in 1903 when the land survey section was
established in the Public Works Department [PWD] with the main objective to support
alienation of land for the European settlement in white Highlands. Today roughly a century
later, the Department of survey has grown into a major organization with branches across the
entire country.

Currently, the ministry of lands is responsible for the administration of the cadastral system in
Kenya through the permanent secretary and the head of the department of survey, lands,
housing and urban development, adjudication and settlement. These departments depend on

5
each other for the supply of information needed for day-to-day administration of lands.
(Wayumba, 2013).

The government of Kenya so far has achieved some of the objectives of vision 2030 by
approving new laws and regulations governing the administration of lands in Kenya. Land
administration system is still evolving. According to (Soltanieh, 2008) land administration
systems are evolving from a focus on core function of regulating land and property
development, land use control, land taxation and disputes resolution to focus on an integrated
land management system designed to support sustainable development.

For centuries, the traditional method of cadastral system of mapping has been a reliable and
well defined process. Over many years’ cadastral data has been handled manually leading to
disordered management of cadastral information. Due to increased demand and requirement
of cadastral information by the users, it’s obvious that manual method no longer can cope in
management of this data. There is still an indication that old traditional cadastral systems are
still in use by several countries whereby most of the cadastral processes are manually based
and their operations are in paper format.

Traditional method of data management has proved to be inefficient and cumbersome. This
method is faced with many challenges such as unnecessary repetition or duplication of data,
high maintenance costs, difficult in moving from one system to another, difficult in data
sharing, lack of security and standards. Hence there is a need for a well-organized plan to
managing cadastral information. Therefore, for panning purposes all land associated
information should be available in the form of a computer database, which can be easily
accessed, manipulated by decision makers while formulating and executing a work. Such a
data base is called Land Information System [LIS].

The Land Information System [LIS] has been defined by the International Federation of
Surveyors as a tool for legal, administrative and economic decision-making and an aid for
planning and development. A land information system consists, on one hand, of a database
containing spatially referenced land-related data for a defined area and, on the other, of
procedures and techniques for the systematic collection, updating, processing and distribution
of the data. The base 18 of a land information system is a uniform spatial referencing system,
which also simplifies the linking of data within the system with other land-related data.

The Land Information system uses land parcels as the basic building block. A map based Land
Information System may possibly have information on land rights and restrictions, precise
delineation of boundaries, land value, land taxes land use, information on building situated on
the land parcel, population data; administrative data and environmental data. Property data can
6
also be linked to land data such as utilities data for example water, electricity,
telecommunications, sewage, gas and emergency services. Climate, topography vegetation,
geological, soil, wildlife, hydrology, geophysical and transport data among others can also be
linked to the land information depending on the nature of the Land Information System.

In local government an LIS could include the property appraisers’ maps, maps on which
approved subdivisions are compiled, utility maps, right of way maps and zoning maps. It could
also include all of the tabular records associated with the maps: the property assessment files,
deeds, 19 subdivision review applications and approved plans, inventories of pipes manholes
details, maintenance records, buildings permits, zoning violations and other code enforcement
records. At the planning level, LIS might incorporate road networks-existing, planned, funded-
and related data on capacity and volume. It could include land use, land cover, projected or
planned land uses, soils, environmentally sensitive areas, socio-economic data, and
redevelopment areas in short, a land Information system is what a government or unit wants it
to be and/or do and become what they want it to become (Kitonga, 2020).

A land Information System contains different components which are very useful in developing,
updating and implementing the system. A typical Land Information has Cadastre as a primary
component. A Cadastre is typically a parcel based, and up-to-date land information system
comprising a record of interests in land (e.g. rights, restrictions and responsibilities). It
generally includes a geometric description of land parcels (cadastral data) related to other
records describing the nature of the interests, the ownership or control of those interests, and
many times the value of the parcel and its improvements (attribute data). It may be established
for fiscal purposes (e.g. valuation and equitable taxation), legal purposes (conveyance), to aid
in the management of land and land use (e.g. for planning and other administrative purposes),
and enables sustainable development and environmental protection. Parcels are described
using a unique Identification Number (IN) for each of them and relates the parcel to attribute
information (Enemark, 2001).

Geodetic reference framework is also an important component of LIS, it consists of

permanently monumented stations whose locations are accurately measured and
mathematically described relative to a common datum. For a LIS the framework provides an
accurate and efficient means to describe the location of land features and their relationship to
one another and makes it possible to interpret, analyze and disseminate compatible land
information. An adequate geodetic reference framework ensures sufficient spatial accuracy for
linking the different types of data that comprise a LIS. In Kenya the local geodetic reference
frame work used is the Universal Transverse Mercator arc 1960

A LIS is maintained by a unit of government responsible for tracking land ownership and
control. In Kenya the custodian of LIS is the Ministry of Land Housing and Urban
7
Development. Other components of a LIS include hardware, software’s, procedures and human
resources. Hardware involved may include Workstations-(various configurations standalone,
networked, server based), 20 Plotters- (Pen, electrostatic, laser, thermal, film writers),
Digitizers- (digitizing tables/tablets, onscreen/heads-up digitizing), Scanners- (optical…) and
Printers. There are different land management Soft wares used in development, updating and
maintenance of the LIS e.g. ArcGIS, Microsoft office. Technical personnel required in the
development and running of the system may include Leader/Manager, GIS Analyst, System
Administrator, Database Administrator, Programmer, Processor, and Digitizer/Cartographer
among others.

In acknowledgement of the cadastral survey taught in colleges, LIS should be a technical unit
of concern for surveying students. This would rather make it easier for the advancement of
cadastral survey information management from traditional to modern. By use of LIS, would
make it easier in carrying out their projects and also relevant survey practices. LIS would help
survey students in many ways; uploading information for the parcel that they would be carrying
out survey and also to save the information collected.

With regards to cadastral survey, data collection is another challenge faced in the field. Use of
traditional instruments is cumbersome and time consuming. There is a great need to improve
the instrumentation of for easy collection of data and processing. It is very important to
consider time take during data collection and also the possibilities of making errors during

8
 booking. The surveyors need to invest their scientific knowledge to invent better survey
instruments that are lighter and more accurate.

Table 1-2 Cadastral process in Kenya.

N0. Content
1 A Surveyor carries out the precise cadastral surveys which comprises; field data capture,
compilation and submission to the Director of Surveys for checking and authentication.

2 Director of Survey authorizes numbering and cross referencing of survey records.

3 Cross Referencing of Records.
4 Preliminary checking.
5 Final checking.
6 Authentication of survey records.
7 Preparation of Deed Plans and Registry Index Maps.
8 Submission of Deed Plans or Registry Index Maps to the Commissioner of Lands for
Title Registration.

2.2 Cadastral Boundary System in Kenya.

The conduct of cadastral surveys in Kenya is controlled by the Survey Act, Cap 299 of the
Laws of Kenya with the Director of Surveys as the administrator of the Act on behalf of the
Government. Since 1986, most of the cadastral surveys have been privatized and are
exclusively conducted by Licensed Land Surveyors. Today, the Government’s primary role is
that maintaining supervisory role and ensuring quality control in the execution of the surveys
through the enforcement of a Code of Ethics and the Survey Act through the Land Surveyors
Board.

As a result of surveys which have been carried out in the country since 1903, large amount of
cadastral data has been generated over the last 100 years. These include survey plans, field
notes, computations, registry index maps, aerial photographs, topo-cadastral maps, the 1:
50,000 adjudication boundary maps, deed plans and title deeds. Majority of the records are
kept by the Director of Surveys except for copies of title deeds which are kept by the
Commissioner of Lands. According to (Njuki, 2001) about four million hectares of land have
been surveyed and registered under the precise cadastral survey system since 1903.

Kenya operates three types of boundary systems: fixed boundary, general boundary and the
fixed general boundary. These boundary definitions are either based on the English general
boundary system as practiced in Britain under the Land Transfer Act of 1875 (Larsson, 2000)
or the fixed boundary system based on the Torrens8 system from Australia (Larsson, 2000);

9
 (Steudler, 2004). The fixed-general boundary has been adopted to achieve fixation of the
general boundaries in areas where the land markets have appreciated.

2.2.1 The Fixed Boundary.

The fixed boundary system is one which has been accurately surveyed so that any lost corner
monument can be re-established precisely from mathematical measurements. Monumentation
for fixed boundary surveys consist of coordinated beacons at the turning points of rectilinear
boundaries. Natural features such as rivers, roads, and ocean line, may also be adopted as
curvilinear boundaries. All fixed cadastral surveys from all over the country are examined and
authenticated by the Director of Surveys in Nairobi. Under the fixed boundary system, all the
parcels have their plans indicating area, bearings and distances between the boundary beacons.

Where surveys are carried out under the Registration of Titles Act (RTA)9 for the
establishment of fixed boundaries, the surveyor prepares deed plans with respect to each plot,
which, after signing and sealing by the Director of Surveys, are forwarded to the Commissioner
of Lands to support registration (Mwenda, 2001). Areas which were surveyed under the fixed
boundary method: new grant allocations, urban leases, Trust Lands that have been set-apart for
public use, Forest Reserves, National Parks and National Game Reserves, and company and
cooperative farms where shareholders opt for a fixed survey.

Fixed boundaries have the advantage of easier relocation and re-establishment, especially
where physical boundary marks are missing. For a long time, the fixation of these boundaries
was optional. However, with the enactment of Land Registration Act No. 3 of 2012, it is now
mandatory that all survey boundaries presented for registration must be georeferenced. This
has the effect that from the date of the enactment of the Act, the general boundary system is
extinguished. Although no reliable figures are currently available, it has been estimated that
the total number of properties under the fixed boundary system are approximately 300,000;
and the total area so is 3.4 million hectares (Mwenda, 2001).

2.2.2 The General Boundary

The term general boundary means that the exact location of the boundary is undetermined but
assumed to be represented by a visible physical feature such as hedges, walls, rivers or streams,
coastlines, or any physical feature that may be found suitable for the definition of the position
of the boundary. The concept of general boundaries was introduced in Kenya in 1959 by the

10
 Native Lands Registration Ordinance and the registry map was intended to be used as the index
map (Kenya, 1966).

The use of general boundaries was adopted to demarcate newly adjudicated land parcels in the
former Native Reserves. At the time of implementation of the general boundary system (in
954) the needed to speed up land registration in the Native Reserves as the indigenous
inhabitants had not received any title to land since 1903 when the cadastral system was
established.

The general boundary surveys are lodged and processed at the District Survey Offices. Once
the surveys have been checked and found acceptable, the Registry Index Maps (RIMs) are
amended by the District Surveyor and the amended plans are forwarded to the District Land
Registrar for preparation of titles. Several generic forms of the RIMs exist in Kenya, depending
on the nature and accuracy of survey. These are the Interim Registry Index Maps, the
Demarcation Maps, Registry Index Maps Provisional, Preliminary Index Diagrams and
Registry Index Maps-Range Provisional (Mwenda, 2001).

Areas covered by the general boundary surveys are: (i) areas where land Adjudication and
consolidation surveys have taken place; (ii) group ranches where the shareholders opt for a
general boundary survey; (iii) company and Cooperative Farms where the shareholders opt for
a general boundary; and (iv) settlement schemes acquired from the former white settlers.
Available statistics in the Ministry of Lands show that general boundaries currently cover
approximately 11 million hectares of land (comprising of 1.5million parcels and 338 group
ranches) (Myles, 2009).

2.2.3 The Fixed General Boundary

Sections 21 and 22 of the Registered Land Act (RLA) give the Chief Land Registrar the
authority to cause a general boundary to be fixed by surveying to the level of a fixed survey.
The areas where fixed general boundaries apply are: (i) company and cooperative farms, where
the shareholders have opted for a fixed boundary survey; (ii) group ranches where the
shareholders have opted for a fixation survey; and (iii) areas where boundaries were previously
surveyed under general boundaries but the clients later opted for a fixed survey to improve on
the relocation and re-establishment of boundary beacons.

The procedures involved in the fixation of general boundaries generally consist of notifying
the District Land Registrar of the intention to have the boundary fixed. The Land Registrar
informs the abutting neighbors of the intention to have the boundary fixed and if any objection
is raised, the matter has to be referred to the Land Control Board, otherwise the survey is
executed and the Land Registrar certifies (on the survey plan) that the boundary has been fixed.
11
 Such plans are submitted to the Director of Surveys for checking and authentication in line
with the requirements of the Survey Act. The fixation of general boundaries assists in
mathematical re-establishment of the boundary beacons, minimization of potential boundary
disputes and raises the market value of the land (Wayumba, 2013).

2.3 Traverse survey

Cadastral survey; in this case we’re dealing with fixed boundary survey, and traversing is the
backbone of the cadastral survey. There are so many place where no control points haven’t
been established and every cadastral survey needs a reference datum. Therefore, is an
obligation to establish control points or to extend the ones that have been already established
in order to use them for references. Therefore, this makes application of traverse essential for
this project.

Traversing is a means of providing horizontal controls in which the rectangular coordinates of

a series of control points located at a site are determined from a combination of angle and
distance measurement with reference to datum points. Datum is a conventional framework
where survey measurements are related. Control points are very essential in cadastral survey
and hence the survey cannot be accurate or can’t be implemented without control points in the
area of survey.

Table 2-2 Purposes of control points.

They serve as essential references for giving location of data entered into LIS and GIS.
They prevent accumulation of errors by connecting detail work to a consistent geometrical
system of points which are accurate enough for the project [dimensional control of construction
work].
Deformation of all manner of structures, both old and new.
Extension and densification of existing controls.
Topographic mapping and large scale plan production.

A traverse is a continuous series of connected lines of known lengths related to one another by
known angles. The lengths of the lines are determined by direct measurement of horizontal
distances, slope measurement, or by indirect measurement using the method of stadia. The line
courses run between a series of points are called traverse stations. The angles at the traverse
stations, between the lines are measured by tape, transit, theodolite, compass, plane table, or
sextant. These angles can be interior angles, deflection angles, or angles to the right. The
lengths and azimuths or bearings of each line of the traverse are estimated through field

12
measurements. The lengths are horizontal distances, and the azimuths or bearings are true,
magnetic, assumed, or grid.

There are two types or classes of traverses. An open traverse is called a first class traverse. It
starts at a point of known or assumed horizontal position with respect to a horizontal datum,
and terminates at an unknown horizontal position. Thus, open traverses end without closure.
Open traverses are used on route surveys, but should be avoided whenever possible since they
cannot be properly checked. Measurements in open traverses should be repeated to minimize
mistakes. A closed traverse is called a second class traverse. It starts at a known or assumed
horizontal position and terminates at that point (i.e., loop traverse), or it starts at a known
horizontal position and terminates at another known horizontal position (i.e., connecting
traverses/closed link traverse). Both the measured angles and lengths in a closed traverse may
be checked. A known horizontal position is defined by its geographic latitude and longitude,
its Y- and X-coordinates on a grid system, or by its location on or in relation to a fixed
boundary.

Traverses are used to find accurate positions of a small number of marked stations. From these
stations, less precise measurements can be made to features to be located without accumulating
accidental errors. Thus, traverses usually serve as control surveys. When drawing construction
plans, the stations can be used as beginning points from which to lay out work. When new

13
 construction of any kind is to be made, a system of traverse stations in the area must be
established and surveyed.

Types of traverse:
1. Deflection-angle traverse
2. Interior-angle traverse
3. Traverse by angles to the right
4. Azimuth traverse
5. Compass traverse

Table 3-2 Purposes of traverse survey.

To establish the positions of boundary lines.
To determine the area encompassed within a boundary.
To determine the positions of arbitrary points from which data may be obtained for
preparing various types of maps (i.e., establish control for map making).
To establish ground control for photographic mapping.
To establish control for gathering data regarding earthwork quantities in railroad
highway, utility, and other construction work.
To establish control for locating railroads, highways, and other construction work.
To determine the positions of exiting boundary markers.

A natural resource professional may need to run a boundary survey for a recreation site, research
plot, forest stand, or wildlife habitat area. The shape of the area may be a polygon with 3 or more
sides. The boundary may be located in the field as it is surveyed. Then the polygon is drawn on a
map sheet with the area in acres being determined for planning purposes. Open traverses may be
run to establish preliminary trail and road locations. An open traverse cannot be checked for
accuracy of field measurements as errors or mistakes are not revealed. A closed traverse

14
immediately affords a check on the accuracy of the measured angles. The position closure gives
an indication of the accuracy in measuring distances as well as azimuths.

Table 4-2 Steps involved in traverse survey.

 Reconnaissance.
 Selection of station positions as close as possible to the object to be located.
 Mark stations with stakes/tacks/stones or concrete monuments set flush with the
ground with a precise point marked on the top by a chiseled cross/drilled hole or
bronze tablet.
 Make angle and distance measurement.
 Place signals at each station such as a range pole to be used for taping and angle
measurement.

The forward and backward directions for any traverse need to be defined. The order in which
measurements are made usually is called the forward direction. Loop traverses should be measured
counterclockwise around the loop. The angles of the traverse should be measured clockwise from
the backward direction to the forward direction. Most highway surveys and other connecting or
open traverses are based on measurement of deflection angles. Either interior or deflection angles
can be used for a closed traverse we will use interior angles. If angle and distance measurements
are done separately, the field notes for each operation will be kept separately. If both measurements
are done together, you might want to keep the field notes together. (Deakin, 1968).

2.3 Critic of the study.

Most of the researchers including (Deakin, 1968), used closed loop traverse which is very prone
to misclosure due to error accumulation. The results of the cadastral structure and processes
presented in this chapter indicate that the cadastral system in Kenya is bureaucratic, repetitive and
cumbersome; a situation which does not support efficient land transactions and improved market
economy. (De Soto, 2000) observed that the situation is similar in many developing countries; and
translates into a loss of $ 9.3 trillion in untapped capital.

2.4 Conclusion.
In this project, it was discovered that traversing is the backbone of cadastral survey. In order to
achieve the objectives of sustainable development, current land information and cadastral systems

15
in Kenya need to be re-engineered or must continuously evolve to cope with the increasing
complexities of human land relations.

16
 CHAPTER THREE.
3.0 INTRODUCTION.
This chapter involves the methods and techniques used to fix the boundary of Nyweri field in order
to come up with a survey plan including all the calculations that were carried out during the survey.
As the principle of survey suggests working from whole to part, this was the first step that was
taken to carry out the field work in order to achieve the required results. A traverse was carried out
to extend the control points to the area of interest. The extended controls were then used for
orientation during placement of corner beacons of the parcel.

3.1 MATERIAL AND INSTRUMENTATION.

Materials that were used includes the field note book, pen, nails and survey computation sheet.

Field note book.

This was used for booking the bearings observed and the measured distances which were then used
for calculations.

Pen.
This was used in writing the readings in the field note book.

Nails.
These were used in marking the instrument stations, both where the instrument was set and target
station.

Survey computation sheet.

This was used in recording all the survey computations that were carried out during the research.
These survey computations include; traverse bearing sheet, traverse coordinate list, corner beacon
coordinates, consistency check, accuracy, datum joins and the area of the parcel.

 The instruments that were used to carry out this project include; Total Station, tripod stand,
pole and prism, and tape measure.

Total Station.
A total station is a surveying instrument that combines the functions of a theodolite, an electronic
distance measurement [EDM] device, and a data collector. It is primarily used in the field of land
surveying to measure angles, distances, and elevations with high accuracy. Some of the main
functions of a total station include;

1. Angle measurement.
2. Distance measurement.

17
Tripod stand.
A survey tripod is a three-legged stand used in the field of surveying to support various instruments
such as total stations, theodolites, levels and laser scanners. It provides stability and secure
platform for these instruments, allowing surveyors to accurately measure angles, distances, and
elevations.

Pole and prism.

The prism pole is used to measure the elevation of a specific ground points by using a sight level
to give accurate results. It is also used to reflect the Electronic Distance Measurement [EDM] beam
of a total station.

Tape measure.
This is used in surveying for measuring horizontal, vertical or slope distances. In this case, it was
used to measure the height of instrument and also the target.

3.2 DATA AND DATA PROCESSING.

The first field survey that was carried out was traversing. Bearing and distances were recorded in
the field note book. These then were processed to come up with a coordinate list. Adjustments
were made by use of Bowditch method;

𝑙𝑖×∑ 𝜕 𝐸/𝑁
∑𝐷

Another method of adjustment is Transit method but Bowditch was preferred because it is more
accurate. The adjusted coordinates were used in orientation for the next field survey that was
carried out which was placement of corner beacon. These coordinates of corner beacon were then
fed in the excel and saved as csv comma delimited. This was then imported in the AutoCAD and
used to draw the survey plan of the parcel. These corner beacon coordinates were also used to
compute the area of the parcel and finally came up with cadastral file.

18
 3.3 METHODOLOGY.
Flow chart of the procedure that was followed;
FIXED BOUNDARY SURVEY BY CLOSED LINK TRAVERSE

RECCONNAISANCE

DATA COLLECTION

OBSERVED BEARINGS TOTAL STATION MEASURED DISTANCES

DATA PROCESSING
TRAVERSE BEARING SHEET

TRAVERSE COORDINATE LIST

ADJUSTMENTS DATA ANALYSIS

FINAL COORDINATES EXCEL

SURVEYORS REPORT
SURVEY PLAN
AutoCAD

CONSISTENCY CHECKS CADASTRAL FILE DATUM JOINS

TRAVERSE COMPUTATION AREA OF THE PARCEL INDEX TO COMPUTATIONS

19
3.4 STUDY AREA.
A map showing the area where the project was carried;

20
 CHAPTER FOUR.
4.0 INTRODUCTION
In this chapter it involves how the data collected was processed and analyzed. The data of the field
is then transferred to excel and saved as csv comma delimited and then its imported to AutoCAD
for drawing purposes. At the end objectives of this research was successfully achieved.

4.1 DATA PROCESSING.

The bearing that were observed was processed to come up with a traverse bearing sheet. The
bearing sheet then gave us the adjusted bearings which was in turn used in conjunction with the
measured distances to come up with the traverse coordinate list. The traverse bearing sheet is as
shown;

4.2 DATA ANALYSIS.

The adjusted bearing of the bearing sheet was used in coordinate list computation. The coordinates
list was then adjusted by Bowditch method. This data was analyzed to come up with the traverse
coordinates list as shown below;

4.3 RESULTS.
The data that was processed and analyzed was then used to come up with a cadastral plan which
was plotted by use of the AutoCAD software. The final results of this project was to come up with
a cadastral file for the parcel.

21
4.3.1 CADASTRAL FILE.

Index to computations.
Content Page

1. Traverse bearing sheet……………………………………24

2. Adjustments………………………………………………26
3. Coordinate list…………………………………………….28
4. Datum join………………………………………………...32
5. Traverse computations…………………………………….32
6. Accuracy computation…………………………………….32
7. Consistency checks………………………………………...33
8. Final coordinate list………………………………………..34
9. Area computations…………………………………………35
10. Cadastral pan……………………………………………….36
11. Surveyors report…………………………………………....37

22
23
24
Figure 1-4 Traverse Bearing Sheet.

25
26
Figure 2-4 Adjustments By Bowditch.

27
28
29
30
Figure 3-4 Coordinates list Computation.
31
Figure 4-4 Datum Join, Traverse and Accuracy Computation.

32
Figure 5-4 Consistency Checks.

33
Table 5-4 Final coordinate list.

POINT NORTHING EASTING DESCRIPTION

1 9996421.704 349998.534 N1
2 9996441.919 350041.691 N2
3 9996444.68 350058.053 N3
4 9996436.568 350071.507 N4
5 9996376.12 350119.982 N5
6 9996359.093 350127.146 N6
7 9996348.361 350123.362 N7
8 9996288.531 350061.393 N8

34
Figure 6-4 Area Computation.

35
4.3.2 CADASTRAL PLAN.

36
 Surveyor’s Report.
PURPOSE FIXED BOUNDARY SURVEY.

AUTHORITY

DATUM

LOCALITY ABOTHUGUCHI CENTRAL.

METHODOLOGY
A survey was carried out to facilitate the above mentioned. A traverse was run to extend the control
points to the area of survey since there were no controls. The extended control points MS8 and
MS9 were then used for orientation to fix the corner beacons.

New corner beacons; N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6, N7, and N8.

Consistency checks of the parcel and its area were done and found to be of acceptable misclosure and
corrected respectively.

METHOD OF SURVEY

 Establishment of control points from datum by closed link traverse.

 Bearing misclosure was found to be -1’08’’ which was distributed amongst 34 traverse
stations.
 Linear misclosure was found to be -0.023 in northings and -0.088 in eastings.
 This misclosure was then adjusted by Bowditch method.
 After adjustment the data became correct.

Area

The area was calculated and found to be 1.075Ha.

Remarks

The parcel was fixed.

37
 CHAPTER FIVE.
5.1 CONCLUTION.
The traverse process by use of Total Station is cumbersome and time consuming. There has
also been no traverse survey in the area previously done; this is because there are no control
points within Nyweri area. Use of Total Station manually recording the readings may lead to
lots of human errors. Carrying out survey traverse by use of Total Station is be expensive. Use
of Total Station needs experience. Traverse station should be long distances apart as much as
possible to eliminate errors. When carrying out traversing, closed link traversing is most
preferable. It’s also advisable not to use the same route/road when traversing.

5.2RECOMMENDATION.
Instead of using T.S, other modern instrument that are less heavy and that needs less manual
work can be employed. Its recommendable for one to download the data directly from the
instrument in order to avoid error due to human mistakes. The T.S machine should be handled
with care to avoid falling down and damaging it.

42
References

Deakin, R. (1968). Traverse analysis. Melbourne, Australia.

Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.).

Enemark, J. (2001). Land administration infrastructure for sustainable

development. Nairobi, kenya.

Kenya, G. o. (1966). Report on the mission on land consolidation and registration

in Kenya.

Kitonga, e. (2020). Developing a cadastral data model. Retrieved from a.

Larsson, G. (2000). land registration and cadastral systems,tools for land

information and management. Stockholm, Sweden.

Mwenda, J. (2001). Spatial information in land tenure reforms with special

reference to kenya. Nairobi, Kenya.

Myles, A. B. (2009). Improving land administration in Kenya.

Njuki, A. (2001). cadastral system and their impact on land administration in

kenya. Nairobi, Kenya.

Soltanieh, s. (2008). Cadastral data modelling- A Tool for e-land Administration.

Steudler, D. (2004). Aframework for the evolution of land administration system.

Melbourne, Australia.

Wayumba, G. O. (2013). Evaluation of cadastral survey in Kenya and strategies to

modernize it. Nairobi: PHD Thesis, University of Nairobi.

43