The Director General of Rwanda Land Management and Use Authority (RLMUA), Esperance Mukamana has explained that Rwanda has no gain in taking over people’s land and encouraged them to rush for registration.

“The Government has nothing to gain from taking over anyone’s property. We want people to do the necessary to register their land. If you fail to do so, the Government will temporarily takeover the land and return it when you have had it registered,” she said.

Mukamana explained that people registering the land temporarily owned by the Government will not be subject to fines and pointed out advantages of land registration.

“Land registration has played a critical role in solving land related disputes. For instance, land dispute cases taken to court have reduced. Moreover, land owners can use their land documents to acquire bank loans,” noted Mukamana.

The Government of Rwanda launched land registration in 2009 completed 2013 but some people have not yet registered their properties.

In January 2020, RLMUA released a statement informing the general public that everyone should have registered his/her land within six months.

The deadline set on 30th June 2020 was extended to 30th December 2020 due to COVID-19. After the deadline, unregistered land will be considered abandoned properties.

The article 20 of the Law No 43/2013 of 16/06/2013 determining land use in Rwanda shows that land registration is obligatory.

Figures from RLMUA show that 9,965,648 plots of land have been registered since 2009 when the land registration exercise began that remaining ones without registration equal to 1,561,201 across the country.

Figures from RLMUA show that 9,965,648 plots of land have been registered since 2009 when the land registration exercise began.