Landowners in several planned settlement sites across Kigali have raised concerns over prolonged delays in the approval of physical plans, saying the uncertainty has prevented them from developing, selling, or transferring ownership of their properties.

Under the current system, construction permits can only be issued in residential areas after physical plans have been approved. These plans provide the framework for urban development, including the provision of roads, water supply, drainage systems, and other essential infrastructure.

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Residents of Musave Cell in Bumbogo Sector, Gasabo District, say they have been unable to use their land for nearly three years due to uncertainty surrounding a proposed residential settlement site.

They said they initially welcomed the initiative, believing it would improve the area, but prolonged delays and limited communication from authorities have left them unable to make decisions about their properties.

Nelson Sinayitutse, who owns two affected plots, said the area was surveyed and a proposed physical plan submitted to the City of Kigali for approval, but residents have received no updates on its status.

"It has been almost three years since we were informed that land-related services and development activities had been suspended because a residential housing site was going to be developed. We welcomed the decision because we believed it was a good initiative," he said.

He added that residents wishing to sell their land cannot complete ownership transfers while the planning process remains pending.

"Those who want to sell their land also cannot do so because ownership transfers cannot be processed while the land remains under this planning process," Sinayitutse said.

He explained that one of his plots has a land title obtained before the planning process began, while the other remains untitled because the seller died before the subdivision process was completed.

"I cannot sell it because buyers are concerned about the pending approval of the physical plan," he said.

Sinayitutse said repeated attempts to obtain information from project officials and the City of Kigali have yielded no clear answers.

"We need the authorities to tell us clearly whether this housing site project still exists. If it no longer exists, our full rights over the land should be restored so that we can carry out activities we are legally permitted to undertake," he said.

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Another resident, Rosalie Wema, said the delays have also affected people planning to build homes in Ramba Village.

"We are not allowed to build because the authorities are not issuing building permits. They say they are revising the physical plan for the entire Musave area," she said.

Wema said she had previously obtained a building permit, but it expired before construction began.

"Our building permit expired in August 2024. We applied for a new permit towards the end of last year, but we have waited for a long time and still have not received it," she said.

The affected areas include Ramba, Kagarama, Rugando and other parts of Musave.

What the proposed plan shows

A proposed physical plan submitted to the City of Kigali Council and seen by The New Times outlines the boundaries of the Musave area covered by the master plan and identifies existing and planned developments.

The plan designates safety buffer zones around high- and medium-voltage electricity transmission lines where construction may be restricted.

It also proposes drainage infrastructure, including the Musave Proposed Drainage system and the City of Kigali Master Plan drainage network, to improve stormwater management and reduce flood risks.

The plan incorporates approved land subdivisions and proposes replotting to align existing plots with the new urban framework. It also outlines road upgrades, expansions and new connections to improve accessibility.

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Land has also been reserved for public spaces, gardens, playgrounds, schools, churches, a cemetery, community facilities and telecommunications infrastructure.

Similar concerns elsewhere

Similar complaints have emerged in other parts of Kigali, including Kicukiro District.

Emmanuel Ndahimana, a landowner in the CYIMO Phase II planned settlement site in Cyimo Cell, Masaka Sector, said residents have been unable to develop their plots because the site has yet to receive City Council approval.

He noted that while some neighbours have obtained construction permits and started building, others remain unable to do so, raising questions about the differing treatment of plots within the same area.

Ndahimana urged authorities to expedite the process, noting that landowners continue paying taxes on properties they cannot fully utilise.

Eugene Karake, another resident, said he bought three plots about two-and-a-half years ago but has suffered financial losses because ownership transfers have not been completed.

He said he was informed that the transfers could not proceed because the City of Kigali had not approved the area as a residential site, preventing the legal subdivision and sale of individual plots.

Landowners also identified other affected areas, including Bisenga in Rusororo Sector (Gasabo District), Rasharu in Nyarugenge District, and Murama and Binunga in Kinyinya Sector, where development has reportedly been stalled for more than two years.

Why approvals are delayed

City of Kigali spokesperson Emma Claudine Ntirenganya said some settlement sites have not been approved because many previously approved sites remain largely undeveloped.

"Some settlement sites are not yet approved because we realised that even those previously approved are yet to be developed. Development of some plots is below 35 per cent," she said.

According to a city assessment, only 37 per cent of the 103,000 plots covered by approved physical plans have been developed, leaving about 64,890 plots undeveloped.

Ntirenganya said implementation of Kigali&039;s master plan is phased, meaning not all areas can be opened for development simultaneously.

"Some areas might have to wait until 2035 or 2050. People should consider buying and living on land with approved physical plans. Many physical plans are on the waiting list for approval, while basic infrastructure is established where physical plans have already been approved," she said.

She added that some sites, including Cyimo and Bisenga, have reached the final stage and are awaiting submission to the Kigali City Council.

According to the city, delays are mainly caused by incomplete documentation and the time required to meet regulatory requirements, including securing consent from the required number of landowners, integrating climate resilience measures and completing technical studies.

Initially, 55 proposed settlement sites were awaiting approval.

Ntirenganya also warned investors against subdividing and selling land before physical plans have been approved.

"Such investors demarcate sites and plots and start selling them. This is a mistake because they are not allowed to do so. It puts buyers of those plots at risk," she said.

Approval timeline

Applications for physical plans must be submitted as complete files to the City of Kigali or the relevant district authorities.

The study phase is expected to take up to 10 months, after which authorities have 30 days to issue a decision. If no decision is made within that period, the application automatically proceeds to the next stage.

However, the Auditor General's report found that the City of Kigali failed to meet the deadline for preparing physical plans covering 8,361 hectares of residential land under Phase I of the Kigali Master Plan.

The report found that only 49 per cent of the planned 8,300 hectares had approved physical plans.