@Brekke
My 2 cents. Heed what @Wendz is saying.Never buy land without a lawyer.
To answer your question, yes, you can buy land under your own name (i have done it myself) even if you live abroad. You need to provide your lawyer with copy of passport/Kenyan ID for him/her to get you a pin # from KRA or something like that.
Your lawyer should also perform due diligence and ascertain that the said land actually exists and the title deed is valid.
Key is to also find yourself a lawyer you can trust with your life (i have heard some horror stories).
The whole process should take you about 3 months but you will sleep well at night.I would not encourage you to transfer land to some relative to "hold" for you till you get back. You might be in for a rude shock.
It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.