The City of Kigali has indicated that satellite monitoring has detected more than 4,000 illegally built houses since July 2024. Such cases include houses built not in line with the city’s master plan, Samuel Dusengiyumva, the Mayor of the City of Kigali, noted during a press conference held on May 30 at his offices. ALSO READ: City of Kigali deploys satellite to monitor construction works The system of monitoring construction projects using satellite imagery is part of efforts to identify illegal developments before they are completed. In addition to satellite imagery, a mobile application is also used by the city inspectors to report such cases. Dusengiyumva said city officials receive at least two photos daily from inspectors showing new buildings under construction without proper permits. “We are trying to avoid detecting illegal housing only after construction is complete. The system helps us identify structures at their early stages and assess land that appears to be under development,” Dusengiyumva said. ALSO READ: Kigali City to deploy new tech to monitor illegal construction He noted that specific areas with a high number of illegal construction cases have been identified. The satellite application has validated several assumptions initially drawn from physical field inspections, especially in neighbourhoods known to be prone to unauthorised construction. “For instance, in Gasabo District, Jabana Sector consistently ranks high on nearly all indicators,” Dusengiyumva said. ALSO READ: Why Rwanda plans to set up tech to monitor land use “In February, we had to put down several houses built illegally in areas designated for agriculture. In many cases, the owners had only been allowed to construct livestock shelters such as cow sheds, yet they went on to build houses.” Jabana remains a hotspot for such activities, and Bumbogo Sector is not far behind, he said. “Bumbogo is one of the most densely populated sectors in Kigali, and it also records high levels of illegal construction,” he said, observing that more urbanised city suburbs tend to have fewer violations. “For example, in Nyarugenge District, sectors like Nyakabanda have very few cases. But Mageragere, also in Nyarugenge, has consistently ranked high. Similarly, in Kicukiro District, Masaka Sector has seen a significant number of unauthorised buildings.”
