All new residential sites will be approved in phases, in line with the Kigali Master Plan 2050 after assessing the development status of previously approved settlement sites, City of Kigali spokesperson Emma Claudine Ntirenganya has said. She was responding to complaints over delays in approving physical plans for new residential sites. Under the current system, residents can only obtain construction permits in residential zones once physical plans are approved. ALSO READ: Why city postponed approval of new residential sites These plans require the provision of basic infrastructure such as roads, water and other services before areas are inhabited. Ntirenganya said the city must first assess how land plots in previously approved settlement sites are being utilised before authorising new ones. A city assessment found that of the 103,000 land plots covered by approved physical plans, only 37 per cent have been developed, leaving about 64,890 plots undeveloped. Officials say this situation has contributed to delays in approving new residential sites. The city argues that many people buy land and leave it idle, waiting to sell it later at higher prices, a practice it wants to curb. “Physical plans will still be approved. However, the council will first assess whether plots in previously approved sites have been developed, whether basic infrastructure is available in proposed new sites, and whether implementation phases align with the 2050 Kigali City Master Plan,” Ntirenganya said, noting that not all areas of the city can be designated as residential zones. She explained that implementation of the master plan is phased, and detailed physical plans are therefore developed gradually. ALSO READ: Why some landowners will wait longer for construction permits “Physical plans cannot be implemented simultaneously across all areas. A site scheduled to receive an approved physical plan in 2050 cannot easily obtain one now. Sites without physical plans will be developed when the appropriate time comes,” she said. Officials added that developing physical plans requires significant investment in infrastructure, making phased implementation necessary. At the national level, the land-use master plan is being implemented in two phases: from 2020 to 2035, and from 2035 to 2050. Districts also follow different timelines depending on available budgets, with some scheduled to implement the plan during the 2028–2035 phase. Meanwhile, the City of Kigali missed the deadline to develop physical plans on 8,361 hectares of residential land under Phase I of the City Master Plan. Demarcation of these areas was expected to be completed by 2024, but the Auditor General’s report found that only 49 per cent of the planned 8,300 hectares had approved physical plans. Ntirenganya urged people in urgent need of housing to consider areas with already approved residential site physical plans, noting that many remain largely uninhabited. What urban planners, residents think Some urban planners and residents have welcomed the city’s move to curb land speculation amid growing demand for new residential sites. However, they have also called for full availability of basic infrastructure and greater flexibility for landowners with limited financial means to develop approved plots. The debate follows the city’s decision to prioritise development of existing approved residential sites before authorising new ones. ALSO READ: 10 major changes in the new Kigali master plan “Curbing land speculation is absolutely necessary, especially because it encourages land to remain idle,” said Eng. Emmanuel Nsengiyumva, owner of ACES Ltd, an architectural design and construction firm. He said speculators often buy land not to develop it, but to resell it later at a higher price. However, Nsengiyumva noted that speculation is not the only reason many plots remain undeveloped. In some areas, land is zoned R3, which requires multi-storey buildings that are expensive to plan, finance and construct. He also cited delays in issuing building permits as another obstacle. He argued that landowners should be exempted from taxes where physical plans are delayed. “It is unjust when someone owns land in a residential area that is taxed despite the absence of an approved physical plan. If the land is still productive for example, used for agriculture, it should be exempted until development becomes possible,” he said. Nsengiyumva further called for physical plans to be developed in every cell to improve land affordability, arguing that approvals often favour high-income areas while residents in outlying areas, such as parts of Gasabo District, face limited housing options. Some physical plans, including those in Musave, Bumbogo Sector of Gasabo District, have faced obstacles. Vanessa Dusabimana, who bought two plots in Musave, said she was denied a construction permit after being informed that the physical plan had changed. Another resident, François Imanayumvabayo, said that in Ramba village, the residential site currently allows only multi-storey houses. “This has delayed approvals because many buyers were planning to build single-family houses. Those who can afford multi-storey buildings are getting construction permits, while others cannot,” he said. Residents in other areas including Masaka–Gitaraga–Kajevuba in Kicukiro District and Kigali–Mwendo in Nyarugenge District say their sites are still awaiting approval. In Kinyinya Sector, residents near the Green City Kigali project said they are also waiting for physical plans. Eng. Albert Rene Yuli Nahimana warned that delays in approving physical plans could drive up land prices in already approved residential sites. ALSO READ: City of Kigali approves settlement sites with 40,000 plots “All residential zones identified in the master plan should have their physical plans approved to avoid price increases in a few approved areas,” he said. He also called for the establishment of a national board to regulate land prices and promoted condominium developments as a way to accelerate land use. Condominiums allow multiple households to share a multi-storey building on the same plot, with each owner holding a private unit and shared ownership of common facilities. What MPs say MP Christine Mukabunani said that during a recent parliamentary tour on urban development, lawmakers raised concerns about residential site approvals. “There are approved residential sites with physical plans but without basic infrastructure such as roads and water,” she said. She noted that if plots remain undeveloped, there must be a thorough assessment to understand the challenges and address them before approving new physical plans. Residents cited cases such as Ngiryi site in Jabana Sector, where lack of clean water has discouraged development despite approved physical plans. Mukabunani also suggested allowing temporary activities such as agriculture or greening while landowners mobilise resources to develop their plots, instead of risking loss of land rights. MP Alice Muzana agreed that there is no need to approve new residential site physical plans while previously approved ones remain undeveloped. She urged landowners to collaborate financially, with government guidance, to develop approved sites before new ones are fast-tracked. “There should be full availability of basic infrastructure to trigger faster construction, as well as flexibility for landowners with limited financial means to mobilise resources. Some landowners fear constructing houses on their plots because certain sites were approved without basic infrastructure, despite residents contributing fees for such facilities,” Evariste Murwanashyaka, head of programmes at CLADHO, a consortium of rights organisations says.
