Kirehe: Over 1,100 begin training on land dispute resolution

By The Inspirer.

Local leaders in Kirehe District, from the district level down to the cell level, including land officers, mediators, and land committees at the village and sector levels, totaling more than 1,100 people, have begun training on resolving common land disputes among the population.

The training is being provided by the Rwanda Land Management and Use Authority in collaboration with Landesa, a non-governmental organization committed to partnering with the government to train these leaders to effectively resolve land-related issues that frequently arise among citizens.

The training covers the 2021 land law, as well as family law, because land is often a family asset. Participants are being trained on matters related to inheritance and how land can be allocated in cases where couples have joint property rights.

They will also learn how to mediate land disputes in a way that helps citizens resolve their issues without necessarily going to court.

Emmanuel Ngomiraronka, a representative from Landesa, said that they initially started training land officials from the district to the sector level with the goal of building their capacity to resolve land disputes among citizens before they escalate to the courts.

William Munyaneza, the Executive Secretary of Nyarubuye Sector, said that this training was much needed because many issues have remained unresolved since all land was registered. He noted that many leaders, when trying to solve these issues, often do not resolve them in a way that provides a permanent solution.

“There were issues that arose during the land registration process, where some documents were issued with errors, such as people receiving titles for land that wasn’t theirs. Many opted to go to court. There were also cases we resolved without realizing they could have been mediated. Now, we are happy with the training we’ve received because citizens will now get services without having to run around,” he said.

Christine Uwase, a land officer in Mahama Sector, mentioned that there are still many people serving on land dispute resolution committees who have never been trained, and as a result, they may sometimes make incorrect judgments. She said the training will help them better understand how to assist citizens with the issues they face daily.

The Director General of the Rwanda Land Management and Use Authority, Nishimwe Marie Grace, pointed out that many people who seek land services are unaware of the laws governing land, and even many local leaders are often unfamiliar with them. Regarding boundary disputes, she said that people should understand that these are not conflicts but rather issues that can be mutually agreed upon and corrected.

“There are also cases where people registered land that isn’t theirs. We are discussing with local authorities how to correct this information without going to court. In such cases, a citizen can approach local authorities and declare that the land they registered in their name is not actually theirs, and it can be corrected. We are asking local leaders for their cooperation in this matter,” she said.

In Kirehe District, it was reported that 28,000 plots of land had been registered without complete information, but so far, data has been obtained for 6,000 of these plots, and 3,000 have been added to the land registry.

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