Construction activities for the Nyabisindu Rehousing Project have commenced, with site preparation and excavation works currently underway.

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The project is a government initiative, implemented through the Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA), in Gasabo District.

The rehousing model involves residents contributing their land, on which new housing units are built to accommodate more households. Landowners receive homes in the new village based on the value of the land they owned, and the number of old houses previously located on that land.

The same model was used in the development of the Mpazi project in Nyarugenge District, which has over 600 units.

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The Nyabisindu project aims to upgrade informal settlements in Nyabisindu Cell of Remera Sector and Nyagatovu Cell of Kimironko Sector, in the City of Kigali, by rehousing the residents in modern, decent, and climate-resilient homes within a well-planned settlement, according to RHA.

Upon completion, the project, which covers an area of 38.54 hectares, is expected to deliver more than 1,600 units.

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The New Times visited the site on Monday, October 27, to witness the progress of the project. One of the initial signs of preparations is a playground that has already been levelled. A few children were playing nearby as the pitch awaits completion.

"There was no such playground in this neighbourhood,” said Clotilde Mukamunana, a resident in the neighbourhood.

"This new playground will keep our children busy, improve their physical health, and help develop their talents.”

On one side of the site, excavators, bulldozers, loaders, trucks, and workers had begun preparation works.

The other side, which overlooks Green Hills Academy, is yet to be excavated for foundation works.

However, behind the main site, there is an area that is yet to be expropriated. "We heard there will also be expropriation,” said Samson Habarugira, a resident.

According to the Rwanda Housing Authority, the area is also part of the Nyabisindu Rehousing Project.

"The residents’ properties have already been valued, but they will continue living in their current houses until their new rehousing units are completed, after which that site will also be developed."

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The project is expected to be fully implemented within one year, according to officials.

The development will include residential areas, markets, schools, green zones, and access roads, all designed to promote inclusive and dignified urban living.

The Nyabisindu housing development follows the completion of 688 housing units constructed under the Mpazi Rehousing Model in Gitega Sector, Nyarugenge District, as part of a broader strategy to upgrade informal settlements in Kigali.

Under the World Bank-funded Rwanda Urban Development Project II (RUDP II), Kigali plans to upgrade four informal settlements: Mpazi (Nyarugenge), Nyabisindu and Nyagatovu (Gasabo), and Gatenga (Kicukiro). In the current fiscal year, Rwf26.9 billion has been allocated for its implementation.

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Targeting Rwezamenyo (Nyarugenge) and Kagugu (Gasabo), the Kigali Informal Settlement Upgrading Project (KISUP) will also upgrade informal settlements at a total cost of over Rwf92 billion, with completion slated for July 2029. For the 2025/26 fiscal year, the project has been allocated Rwf20.4 billion.