Mpazi Rehousing Project is set for a major expansion, with plans to provide more than 4,100 housing units in Nyarugenge District as authorities seek to address housing needs and improve living conditions for residents, The New Times has learnt. ALSO READ: Kigali City banks on ‘rehousing model’ to reduce unplanned settlements The rehousing model involves residents contributing their land, on which new housing units are built to accommodate more households. The landowners receive homes in the new village based on the value of the land they owned and the number of old houses previously located on that land. “The project is planned to progressively cover all nine villages of the Kabahii Cell,” Emma-Claudine Ntirenganya, spokesperson for the City of Kigali, told The New Times. The project covers approximately 21 hectares. “It is expected to accommodate about 4,106 housing units upon completion. To date, approximately four hectares have been developed, with 793 housing units constructed and more than 500 families already settled in their new homes,” she explained. Up to 44 housing units are currently under construction, Ntirenganya said. “Development will proceed progressively each year, subject to the availability of allocated funding, until the entire project area is developed and the planned housing units are completed,” she said. The City of Kigali is implementing rehousing and urban regeneration projects aimed at improving living conditions for residents of informal settlements while promoting safer, planned and more inclusive neighbourhoods. ALSO READ: Informal settlements on Mount Kigali, Jali, Rebero set for upgrade The approach prioritises rehousing families within or close to their existing communities, allowing them to benefit from improved housing and infrastructure without unnecessarily disrupting their livelihoods, social networks and access to essential services. Expanding the model to Nyabisindu Following the success of the first phase of the Mpazi rehousing project, the Nyabisindu–Nyagatovu Rehousing Project has also been designed. The Nyabisindu-Nyagatovu Rehousing Project is located in Gasabo District, covering parts of Remera and Kimironko sectors, specifically Nyabisindu and Nyagatovu cells. It covers four villages: Nyabisindu, Amarembo I, Amarembo II and Ibuhoro. ALSO READ: VIDEO: Nyabisindu rehousing project creates 2,000 jobs Construction is ongoing and is expected to be completed by June 2027, she said. The Nyabisindu project is expected to deliver approximately 2,029 housing units in 46 blocks, with different housing options ranging from studios to three-bedroom units. Infrastructure improvements are being implemented alongside the housing development. These include the ongoing construction of a road connecting Nyabisindu to Kibagabaga under the RUDP II Project, which will improve accessibility and connectivity in the area. “The redevelopment will also free approximately 19.46 hectares of land for future investment, creating opportunities for further economic and urban development,” she said. ALSO READ: Govt issues new guidelines to reduce informal settlements The development also incorporates a rent-to-own affordable housing scheme. The initiative targets low-income households by allowing tenants to rent homes while gradually building equity towards ownership. Tenants pay monthly rent alongside an additional contribution that accumulates over time and is later applied towards purchasing the property. Some units have already been secured in Nyabisindu for the project, which will begin after families are rehoused. Residents are expected to initially rent homes at regulated prices, with some units later converted into rent-to-own arrangements. Kabuhunde rehousing project also designed Ntirenganya disclosed that the Kabuhunde Rehousing Project will provide improved housing for 716 people, comprising 669 beneficiaries under Phase I and 47 under Phase II, in Kagugu Cell, Kinyinya Sector of Gasabo District. ALSO READ: City of Kigali to use $70m to upgrade major unplanned settlements The area currently occupied by households to be rehoused covers approximately 33.699 hectares. “To facilitate the transition while a permanent housing solution are being implemented, 85 households have already received rental support, including 46 households under Phase II and 39 households previously residing within the two-hectare project area,” she said. Improving lives without disconnecting communities She said that, beyond the number of houses constructed, the projects are about improving the quality of life of low- and middle-income residents while maintaining the communities and economic relationships they have built over the years. “Beneficiary households are rehoused within the same neighbourhood or close to where they previously lived. This means families can move from inadequate or unsafe housing into modern, safer and better-serviced homes without losing their connection to their community.” Officials said there is a need for different housing models and schemes to increase the proportion of Kigali residents living in planned settlements, which currently stands at more than 61 per cent.
