MPs urge speedy expropriation of locals evicted from marshlands

Lawmakers have asked officials in charge of natural resources to speed up the expropriation of residents of Rugezi wetland in Burera District. At least 17 families out of 40 are yet to be relocated after they resettled in the marshland seeking a safe haven from the 1996/98 attacks by FDLR militia. They now have to pave way for agricultural activities. The residents raised the issue with MPs that they cannot conduct any activities in the area after the Natural Resources ministry issued instructions saying the area should be reserved for modern farming. The issue was also raised in a recent report by the National Human Rights Commission. The Government previously put in place an environmental policy to save marshlands by keeping more water for a cleaner environment. According to MP Innocent Kayitare, the deputy chairperson of the Standing Committee on Unity, Human Rights and Fight Against Genocide, while some of the residents have land titles, others were denied the same titles despite sharing the same rights to reside in the area. “Apparently, some residents had sought land titles from the district and were denied, yet others have it. We were also told that they were lined up for relocation but have remained stranded since,” he said. Kayitare added that a similar issue was reported in a neighbouring Kaligongera centre, which houses more than 200 people who are said to have been denied land deeds. “If they don’t have land titles, how is the government going to conduct expropriation and why did it take so long to find a solution?” Kayitare asked. Appearing before the committee, on Thursday, the Minister for Natural Resources, Dr Vincent Biruta, assured that the matter was being handled progressively. Biruta blamed the delays on bureacraticy. He said, since 2010, more than 30 families had settled in the Rugezi marshland, and government, through Rwanda Environment and Management Authority and Rwanda Energy Group (REG), had identified them for expropriation. “Only 17 families are still in the wetland although they are supposed to relocate; district officials have told us that a budget was proposed for a 2016/17 financial year to complete the exercise,” he said. The minister told the lawmakers that another strategy that was being streamlined was to help residents carry out farming activities on the same land shortly after they have been relocated. “That particular land is useful to us as it is to them, the plan is to group them into farming cooperatives and be financially supported in that line,” he said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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MPs urge speedy expropriation of locals evicted from marshlands