The number of land transfers in Bugesera District has risen from 5,000 in 2018 to 30,000 in 2025, according to the National Land Authority (NLA).
Alexis Rutagengwa, Head of the Land Use Management and Mapping Department at NLA, revealed the number urging landowners and investors to comply with Bugesera Land Use Master Plan.
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"Over 30,000 people bought land in 2025 in Bugesera, an increase from 5,000 in 2018/19 and 8,000 in 2020,” Rutagengwa said during Bugesera Investment Forum on June 26.
"Currently over 3,000 construction permits released every year in the district, only 30 % comply with construction and land use rules.”
He added that in 2026 the number of transfers may reach 35,000.
"That is why a land use district master plan was designed. We are expecting increased urbanization thanks to Nyamata city, Ruhuha, Rweru urban centres as well as the Airport City. Population will increase from 550,000 to 1.2 million in 2050. Without land use plan, there would be no arable land,” he said.
He said there is need for planned settlements as there are investment opportunities in addressing housing shortage.
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Within Bugesera District, land has been allocated for different uses of which the main land uses are agriculture (52%), wetlands (14%), residential (10%), forestry (6.6%), waterbodies (6%), and transportation (5%).
Other land uses are industrial use, public facilities, commercial use, ecotourism and open space, public administration, public utilities and buffer zones.
Agricultural opportunities
"At least 86% of land in Bugesera is fertile. This is huge investment opportunity where maize, sorghum, ground nuts and other crops have a big potential,” Rutagengwa added.
Ronard Kabagambe, Investment Marketing Analyst at Rwanda Development Board (RDB) said Bugesera District offers significant investment opportunities in agriculture, driven by priority value chains including horticulture, rice, cassava, poultry, beans, and maize cultivated across more than 52,900 hectares of consolidated farmland.
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He added that the district is expanding irrigation, leveraging nine lakes and three rivers to increase irrigated land under the Small-Scale Irrigation Technology programme from 500 hectares to 3,377 hectares.
Plans are also underway to develop an additional 3,000 hectares of hillside irrigation, while 42,000 hectares have been earmarked for food production, he said.
Kabagambe also highlighted investment prospects in livestock and fisheries, citing the expansion of the Gako Beef project, the establishment of four milk collection centres, and efforts to increase fish production to strengthen the district's meat, dairy, and aquaculture industries.