Kigali: Over 6,242 Homeowners at Risk of Losing Their Houses

By The Inspirer.

The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) has revealed that owners of houses built on over 6,242 plots of land in Kigali may lose their properties because the plots were designated for other purposes in the city’s master plan.

Auditor General Alexis Kamuhire shared this during his presentation of the annual report on the management and use of public funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, to both chambers of Parliament.

Kamuhire highlighted several issues in the implementation of Kigali’s master plan, noting that in many cases, people have settled in ways that contradict what the master plan stipulates.

He explained that the City of Kigali is responsible for urban planning, preparing residential sites, and issuing building permits. However, an audit revealed that 6,176 building permits were issued without prior physical planning of the areas in question.

The audit further found that Kigali’s planning department has only developed residential plans for 49% of the total residential area of the city, which spans 8,361 hectares.

Moreover, 19 out of 30 residential plans were found to contain elements that do not align with the city’s official master plan.

Kamuhire also pointed out that about 6,242 residential plots are located in areas designated as wetlands, forests, steep slopes, high-voltage powerline zones, and wastewater pipeline corridors—according to the city’s master plan.

He warned, “The fact that these houses were built on plots intended for other uses could lead to financial losses for either the government or the homeowners.”

The OAG also audited building services in eight secondary cities supporting Kigali—namely Musanze, Muhanga, Huye, Rusizi, Rubavu, Nyagatare, Rwamagana, and Bugesera.

The audit found that while these cities have master plans, they often lack detailed sectoral master plans that define areas for specific activities such as tourism, sports, agriculture, forestry, and other infrastructure projects.

Furthermore, the OAG noted that 84% of land titles for residents relocated for public interest projects have not yet been transferred to the respective districts or the City of Kigali, mainly due to ongoing inefficiencies in the housing and settlement services.

Source: Kigali Today.