The City of Kigali has pledged to strengthen the use of technology to protect the 22 per cent of its land earmarked for agriculture under the Kigali City Master Plan, amid growing cases of encroachment. City officials say the move is aimed at safeguarding food production and green spaces as urbanisation accelerates. ALSO READ: Why Rwanda plans to set up tech to monitor land use “About 32 per cent of Kigali City’s area has been set aside for construction, while 22 per cent is dedicated to agriculture. This means space for residential areas already exists,” said Fulgence Dusabimana, the City of Kigali Vice Mayor in charge of Urbanisation and Infrastructure. “We have to facilitate landowners to transition, in phases, to what the Master Plan recommends.” According to the Fifth Rwanda Population and Housing Census by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), Kigali’s population stood at 1.7 million in August 2022. Projections in the Kigali Master Plan 2050 estimate the population will rise to about 3.8 million. Dusabimana noted that agricultural land could become more valuable in the long term than residential land, given rising demand for food and green spaces. “The 22 per cent of the city’s area will be feeding us. Today, landowners see residential zones as more expensive per square metre. But in the coming years, agricultural land may become more valuable because of food security and environmental needs,” he said. ALSO READ: City of Kigali approves settlement sites with 40,000 plots He added that carbon credits could further enhance the value of agricultural and forested land. “When we begin to pay or incentivise people with forested land, they will realise its value. They provide clean air, and those without such land may contribute to ensure we maintain it,” he said. National Land Authority warning The National Land Authority (NLA) has also issued a warning against illegal land-use changes. “For the purpose of protecting land designated for agriculture, livestock and forests, it is prohibited to subdivide such land into smaller parcels or to demarcate and build access roads with the intention of changing its use,” said NLA Director General Marie-Grâce Nishimwe. The authority urged the public to exercise due diligence before purchasing land for construction. “Everyone is required to verify the designated use of land for agriculture, livestock and forests before any transaction,” reads the warning. The NLA advised citizens to check land-use information by dialling *651# on MTN or through the national geodata portal. “Compliance with the provisions of the land-use master plan is the responsibility of everyone,” it added. Satellite and drone monitoring Kigali City Mayor Samuel Dusengiyumva said the city is scaling up monitoring efforts by combining satellite imagery with drone technology to detect illegal construction on agricultural land. In May 2025, the city reported that satellite monitoring had identified more than 4,000 illegally built houses since July 2024, many of which did not comply with the city’s Master Plan. The Ministry of Infrastructure has since announced plans to revise the national housing policy, making vertical housing mandatory in most parts of the country as part of construction permit requirements. ALSO READ: 10 major changes in the new Kigali master plan Officials say stricter regulations are necessary to address mounting land pressure caused by rapid urban growth. Engineers argue that promoting vertical housing could help conserve land, reduce deforestation and meet rising housing demand. According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, if current housing trends continue without prioritising vertical development, Rwanda could run out of arable land and green spaces by 2050. “The land is increasingly running out, and everyone can see it. Vertical building is really the solution—accommodating more people on a smaller piece of land,” said Jean Baptiste Nsengiyumva, a senior research fellow. Food security concerns Food security remains a central concern. Solange Uwituze, State Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, recently said only 1.4 million hectares are currently available for agriculture nationwide, while Rwanda’s population is projected to reach 23 million by 2050. “The agriculture sector generates nearly 70 per cent of export revenues and supplies about 90 per cent of the country’s food needs,” she said. Of the available land, about 600,000 hectares have been designated as consolidated “food basket areas” to be cultivated professionally. “Each citizen needs food. Agriculture must create 1.25 million jobs for youth, ensure 88 per cent of households are food secure, and generate $1.5 billion in exports,” Uwituze added.
