The Land Administration Information System (LAIS) requires a capacity of at least 3,000 GIS processors to manage the rising demand for land-related services, Bernadette Arakwiye, Minister of Environment, has said. ALSO READ: Govt to resolve land demarcation issues by 2027 The number of files processed annually has surged from 15,000 to 800,000. Processors manage land records and applications within systems such as LAIS, reviewing, verifying, and approving requests, including land registration, transfers, leases, or subdivisions. In doing so, they ensure that all legal, technical, and administrative requirements are met before any land transaction is finalised. LAIS is a digital platform used by the government to manage land records, ownership, transactions, and related data. It enables tracking of land titles, leases, sales, and cadastral maps, making land administration more transparent, efficient, and accessible. ALSO READ: Rwanda to deploy new system for improved land services The land registry was developed after the government registered 11.4 million parcels between 2009 and 2013. “When the land registry started, it was processing 15,000 files per year. Today, it handles over 800,000 files annually. Previously, services were provided at provincial level, but now they have been decentralised to sector level, with land committees established at cell level,” she said. Arakwiye noted that LAIS has been integrated with 15 other systems, including the tax system, mortgage system, and agricultural subsidies programme. “Application files at land offices have drastically increased because 85 percent of services needed by citizens are now digitised through the Irembo platform. Engaging private notaries in land services and land surveyors has also contributed to the rise,” she said. The land office recorded over 370,000 files in 2023, 750,000 in 2024, and 800,000 in 2025. “Land application files have increased 2.3 times. This is why there are delays in land-related services. After identifying the issue, we have taken measures, including integrating land services with those of other institutions to ensure a ‘One Single Application’ system,” she said. ALSO READ: More land services now accessible through Irembo “By June 2026, this system will allow, for example, a citizen seeking a land title through another institution to have the title drawn automatically from the land registry. Similarly, corrections in NIDA IDs will automatically update in LAIS,” she explained. The minister added that these measures are expected to reduce the backlog of files by 10 percent. Other strategies to handle the rising number of applications include increasing the number of processors. “We are employing private GIS processors, who are also being trained,” she said. To boost capacity in receiving and processing land applications, the government is collaborating with the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA). “Initially, LAIS was managed by 80 staff. Today, 150 staff use the system, with an additional 113 staff supporting information handling. LAIS interacts with 15 systems from other institutions. Our plan is to expand to 3,000 staff to ensure LAIS operates effectively,” she noted. Members of Parliament have weighed in on the matter. MP Christine Mukabunane stressed the need to outline and communicate measures to improve land services to citizens, saying, “Delays in land service delivery result in significant losses for applicants.” MP Jeanne d’Arc De Bonheur added that delays in processing land applications can trigger corruption. The National Land Authority (NLA) has announced that at least 55,000 applications for land surveying services, currently pending due to limited personnel, will be processed within two months. Landowners require these services for land subdivision, registration, and titling. Marie-Grâce Nishimwe, Director General of the NLA and Land Registrar, said that at least 100 private land surveyors are being deployed to support public surveyors in handling the backlog of more than 55,000 applications. In 2025, a total of 864,425 files, including land transfers, registration, and surveying applications, were processed.
