Boundary errors affecting 222,423 land plots have been corrected following the rollout of upgraded land surveying technology, officials told Parliament on Tuesday.

The update was delivered as the Minister of Environment, Bernadette Arakwiye, appeared before Parliament of Rwanda to explain progress and challenges in land administration.

Ministry of Environment officials said boundary inaccuracies have long been a major driver of land-related disputes across the country.

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Rwanda undertook a nationwide land tenure regularisation programme between 2009 and 2013, during which more than 11 million land parcels were demarcated, registered and issued with titles.

However, the technology used at the time relied on general boundary mapping, which lacked precision.

"The technology then provided general boundaries, but some were not precise,” Arakwiye said. "After acquiring updated technology, boundary errors are corrected each year depending on the available budget.”

With the deployment of 10 GPS reference stations across the country, boundary corrections can now be done with an accuracy of one to five centimetres. The government also plans to procure additional GPS devices to further improve data capture, while districts continue identifying plots with errors.

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582 villages prioritised by 2026

The minister said 582 villages with a high concentration of boundary errors have been prioritised for correction by 2026.

Several projects are already underway to speed up the process. These include a programme in the Congo–Nile Divide zone covering 10 districts, as well as targeted interventions in Kirehe, Kayonza and Nyagatare districts.

Arakwiye said the government aims to have all identified demarcation errors addressed by 2026.

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According to Landesa, an organisation working with the National Land Authority, about 54,000 land titles have so far been issued after resolving land-related issues in the three eastern districts. Of these, 37,000 titles were issued in Kayonza, 21,000 in Kirehe, with the remainder in Nyagatare.

Disputes driven by inaccurate boundaries

Land demarcation errors account for the bulk of land disputes in the affected districts. In Kayonza alone, around 27,000 land-related cases have been recorded, while Kirehe has registered about 14,000, most linked to boundary inaccuracies.

Jossam Potel, Landesa’s director, explained how such errors fuel conflict. "Two neighbours may each be entitled to one hectare, but records may show one owning 1.5 hectares and the other just 0.5,” he said. "Problems escalate when land is used as collateral for bank loans.”

In such cases, he noted, banks may auction land for unpaid loans, even when part of it rightfully belongs to another person, triggering disputes.

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Rwf2.2bn earmarked, fees waived

The government plans to spend Rwf2.2 billion on correcting boundary errors and fully automating land services on the Irembo portal. The initiative targets 825 villages nationwide and is part of broader efforts to reduce disputes and streamline land administration.

MP Erneste Nsangabandi said inaccurate boundaries undermine landowners’ economic wellbeing, limiting access to bank credit and forcing some to pay taxes on incorrect land sizes.

MP Balinda Rutebuka called for landowners to be exempted from correction fees, arguing that the errors stem from outdated technology rather than owners’ actions.

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The Ministry of Environment confirmed that once the government begins large-scale, systematic rectification, landowners will not be charged any fees. Previously, individuals seeking corrections independently paid at least Rwf25,000.

Officials said the systematic approach involves identifying, verifying and correcting discrepancies caused by outdated maps, survey errors, human mistakes or landscape changes.

While the number of errors exceeds the current capacity of surveyors and land notaries, the government plans to scale up by engaging private surveyors and involving surveying interns.

Districts are continuing to map and report errors to ensure land-use planning is based on accurate data nationwide.