More than 41,000 households are set to be relocated into planned and resilient settlements equipped with essential infrastructure such as water, electricity and roads, according to Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA).

The households include 32,000 currently living in scattered rural settlements, 3,436 households residing in informal urban settlements, and 6,089 households living in high-risk zones vulnerable to disasters.

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The relocation exercise started in the 2024/25 financial year as part of the Second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2).

According to Emmanuel Ahabwe, RHA’s Head of Social and Affordable Housing Development, the programme seeks to address both unplanned rural settlements and settlements located in high-risk zones.

He explained that progress has already been registered, although implementation remains at an early stage.

"So far, the target of settling 32,000 scattered households into planned settlements has been achieved at 7.8 per cent. The initiative will also help preserve land for agriculture,” he said.

This means that approximately 2,500 households have already been relocated into planned settlements since the programme began in 2024/25.

Ahabwe noted, however, that the current performance figures may not fully reflect ongoing work because some districts and implementing partners have not yet submitted their reports.

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"The figures currently available are from only 10 districts and the City of Kigali. We expect more reports by the end of the 2025/26 financial year in June,” he explained.

More households relocated

The effort builds on previous government efforts.

Between 2017 and 2024, Rwanda relocated 144,628 households into planned settlements nationwide.

With the additional target of 32,000 households under the current programme, the cumulative figure is expected to reach 176,628 households by 2029.

The relocation of families living in disaster-prone areas has also made progress.

Authorities say 21 per cent of the target to relocate 6,089 households from high-risk zones has already been achieved, meaning about 1,279 households have been moved to safer areas.

Between 2017 and 2024, at least 20,643 households were relocated from disaster-prone areas.

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With the new targets, the cumulative total is projected to increase to 26,732 households by 2029.

Ahabwe said households relocated from high-risk areas to integrated model villages are still allowed to retain ownership of their former land for productive activities.

Implementation approach

Authorities plan to implement the initiative through the preparation of layout plans for designated settlement sites, mobilisation of households to relocate, and accelerated provision of infrastructure and public services.

The programme also includes upgrading informal urban settlements through community-based rehousing projects and improved service delivery.

The government intends to develop detailed physical plans (demarcated settlement sites) covering more than 8,564 hectares in both urban and rural settlement areas.

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Several projects are already supporting the broader urbanisation agenda, including the second phase of the Rwanda Urban Development Project in Kigali and secondary cities, as well as the Kigali Informal Settlement Upgrading Project.

During the implementation of the second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), around 1,160 hectares of urban informal settlements are expected to be upgraded, while 3,436 urban households are set to benefit from improved housing conditions.

Settlement improvement plan

The government is reducing the number of officially designated settlement sites nationwide from around 14,000 to only 3,000 in an effort to improve land use planning and preserve arable land.

Minister for Environment Bernadette Arakwiye said the decision was necessary because rapid population growth is increasing pressure on land.

"An assessment found that, to ensure efficient land use, including preserving arable land and allocating space for infrastructure, green areas, industrial zones and other development activities, we must retain only 3,000 sites designated for settlement in line with the land use master plan,” she said.

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Arakwiye noted that only 15.2 per cent of Rwanda’s land is allocated for human settlement. Reducing settlement sites would make it easier to provide infrastructure and public services efficiently.

Under the National Urbanisation Policy, the country’s urban population is projected to rise from 35 per cent in 2024 to 52.7 per cent by 2035 and eventually reach 70 per cent by 2050.

According to projections by the National Land Authority, about 15.4 million people are expected to live in urban areas by 2050, representing 70 per cent of the projected national population of 22.1 million.

The rapid urbanisation growth will require 101 urban areas, which are classified into five categories namely Kigali as the capital city, three satellite cities, eight secondary cities, 16 ‘District Towns’ and 73 ‘Rurban Centres’

Kigali City will have to accommodate 3.8 million people while satellite and secondary cities will each accommodate 650,000 population.

Each of all 16 District Towns will accommodate a total of 250,000 people by 2050 in addition to population to be accommodated by 73 Rurban Centres.

Challenges

Despite the progress, officials acknowledge persistent challenges.

Ahabwe cited budget limitations, inadequate urban planning data, land expropriation and compensation issues, limited local government capacity, low private sector participation, and the impact of natural and human-induced disasters as key obstacles.

"Some landowners are reluctant to change their mindset and move from scattered settlements to planned ones,” he said, adding that support offered to relocating households varies according to their financial capacity.

Some families finance their own relocation, while others receive plots, roofing materials and construction support through community work initiatives.

"Vulnerable households, especially those relocated from high-risk zones, are provided with houses in model villages,” he said.

Soline Mukamana, Mayor of Burera District, warned that settlements on steep hillsides continue to increase disaster risks.

"Land with a slope of 50 per cent or more is no longer permitted for residential construction,” she said, adding that the district’s updated land use master plan clearly separates residential, agricultural and protected zones.

Mukamana said nearly 79.8 per cent of Burera residents already live in planned settlements, although insufficient funding continues to slow infrastructure development in some settlement sites.

"We have designed 69 planned settlement sites with one site in each cell of the district. We also have urban centres such as Kirambo, Kivuye, Cyanika, Gahunga and Kinongi with planned settlement sites. However there are still budget constraints availing basic infrastructure in these sites,” she noted.