Rwanda’s land sector has undergone notable reforms over the past year, with changes affecting urban planning, settlement development, land taxation and service delivery across the country. The New Times highlights 10 major land-related developments recorded over the past year. 1. Phased approval of new residential settlement sites The City of Kigali recently announced that all new residential settlement sites will now be approved in phases, in line with the Kigali Master Plan 2050, and only after assessing progress on previously approved sites. ALSO READ: Why Rwanda plans to set up tech to monitor land use The decision follows an assessment showing that of the 103,000 plots covered by approved physical plans, only 37 per cent have been developed, leaving about 64,890 plots undeveloped. City authorities say the move will also help protect 22 per cent of Kigali’s land earmarked for agriculture through increased use of technology. “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. 2. Approval of new district land use master plans Cabinet approved new district land use master plans for 11 districts on November 28, 2025, to guide sustainable land utilisation and accelerate urban development projects, according to the National Land Authority (NLA). ALSO READ: City of Kigali approves settlement sites with 40,000 plots The districts include Bugesera, Gatsibo and Kayonza in the Eastern Province; Kamonyi, Nyamagabe, Nyanza and Ruhango in the Southern Province; and Karongi, Nyabihu, Nyamasheke and Rusizi in the Western Province. 3. Adjustment of land tax rates In January 2026, the City of Kigali clarified that adjusted land tax rates per square metre had been approved by the city council in February 2025. The clarification followed complaints from taxpayers over sharp increases in land tax, which rose to a maximum of Rwf 80 per square metre in areas that previously paid significantly less. 4. Conditional building permits temporarily suspended The Ministry of Infrastructure has temporarily suspended the issuance of construction permits related to conditional land use and overlay zones due to reported malpractices. ALSO READ: Land use master plans for six districts to be complete by end of 2025 Conditional land use permits allow developments that are not automatically permitted under zoning regulations but may be approved under specific conditions. The ministry said no new conditional or overlay permits should be issued until a proper framework is established to ensure lawful and responsible approval. 5. Private land surveyors deployed to clear backlog The National Land Authority announced in January 2026 that more than 55,000 pending land surveying applications will be processed within two months. The backlog resulted from limited staffing. To address this, at least 100 private land surveyors have been deployed to support public surveyors. Land surveying services are required for subdivision, registration, and land titling. ALSO READ: Inside Kigali’s plan to reduce informal settlements to 20% 6. Launch of a real-time land data dashboard In 2025, Rwanda launched a land dashboard, a fully automated platform that analyses and visualises land data in real time. The system tracks land use, ownership, transactions and values, and updates every 24 hours. It also compares current land use with planned use across sectors such as agriculture, housing, transport and forestry. 7. Three additional land services moved online In February 2025, three more land services were added to Irembo, the government’s online service platform. These include first land registration, title transfer by succession, and title transfer by donation. The services no longer require physical applications to sector or district land offices. Applicants can now apply directly through Irembo without using agents. 8. Harmonised fees for settlement site development In October 2025, the NLA announced harmonised infrastructure development fees for settlement sites, ranging from Rwf 200,000 to Rwf 450,000 per plot. The fees cover costs related to studies, road construction, demarcation and drainage, and are part of new instructions on land readjustment for detailed settlement site plans. Under the new rules, landowners pay a development fee for each reallocated plot based on its size. 9. New eco-friendly settlement planning rules The NLA also issued new guidelines promoting environmental protection and climate resilience in settlement site development. The rules require all new settlement plans to incorporate green spaces, proper drainage systems and disaster risk management measures, including parks, playgrounds and pedestrian paths. 10. Rollout of a revamped building permit system In 2025, the government launched a new online building permit system — the KUBAKA Portal, also known as BPMIS 2.0. The system replaces the original Building Permit Management Information System introduced in 2016 and is designed to improve access, efficiency and transparency in processing building permit applications.
