A 14-storey apartment building with solar panels on its rooftop is being constructed in Kiyovu on land previously occupied by two households, highlighting how the rehousing model could help address Kigali’s unplanned settlements while creating opportunities for private investors. The development will provide about 93 housing units for 93 households, with each unit measuring between 200 and 300 square metres. The 93 units will have a combined floor area of about 18,000 square metres, while the plot on which the two households previously lived measured 2,800 square metres. “Two families were living on the land, but after redevelopment of the plot, 93 families will live on the same size of land. They will be rehoused and receive units as part of the apartment development,” Chinese real estate investor Linda Lai said. The project is expected to cost $20 million. The development, being built on a 1,250-square-metre plot, will include a five-room penthouse on the top floor. ALSO READ: Informal settlements on Mount Kigali, Jali, Rebero set for upgrade The project is one example of the implementation of the rehousing model, which is intended to support vertical housing development and the upgrading of unplanned settlements. The solar-powered penthouse will feature a rooftop swimming pool and a garden capable of hosting up to 300 visitors. Wastewater will be treated and reused for various activities. The building, which will serve both residential and commercial purposes, is located about three minutes from Kigali City Hall and seven minutes from the Kigali Convention Centre. The 14-storey building will have 12 floors above ground and two dedicated parking floors. It will offer studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments, as well as a 1,278-square-metre penthouse. Other facilities will include modern lighting, solar panels, a smart voice-control system, a restaurant, supermarket, meeting rooms, a gym, swimming pool, public-area security system, home theatre, centralised concierge services and an international medical services unit. “The development is planned as a self-contained residential destination, with a range of facilities designed to combine convenience, recreation and business,” Lai said. More than 80 indoor parking spaces will be provided across the two dedicated parking floors. The development will also offer elderly-care assistance and medical coordination services to residents. Investor confidence in housing sector The real estate sector is emerging as one of the country’s fastest-growing investment destinations, driven by rising housing demand, rapid urbanisation and growing investor confidence. ALSO READ: VIDEO: Nyabisindu rehousing project creates 2,000 jobs In 2025, the sector attracted $855.5 million, equivalent to more than Rwf1.2 trillion, in registered investment commitments, more than double the $377.7 million recorded in 2024, according to the Rwanda Development Board’s latest report. “Rwanda’s safety, beauty and quality of life were among the key factors that attracted me to invest in the country’s housing sector,” Lai said. Lai, who arrived in the country last year, said she saw strong potential in the growing real estate market and decided to launch her own project after an earlier investment opportunity did not materialise. “Rwanda is a very beautiful country and comfortable for living. It is also very safe. Every investor will like it,” she said. Lai said a strong real estate sector is an important component of economic growth because businesses and investors increasingly seek locations that offer safety, comfort and a good living environment. “When a company comes up and grows, real estate is one of the first things they need,” she said. Lai said her new development in Kigali is intended to provide a higher standard of housing. With the city continuing to attract investment and undergo rapid urban development, she said Kigali offers opportunities to build housing for residents seeking more space and decent living conditions. “The decision to invest in Rwanda ultimately comes down to the country’s potential as a safe and attractive place to live and do business,” she said. Experts weigh in Engineer Emmanuel Nsengiyumva, founder of Avi Construction and Engineering Services, said the government should continue partnering with landowners and mobilising them around the rehousing model to create more opportunities for real estate investors. “People need to understand that the land will be redeveloped and that they can come back to live on the same land with shares in the apartments. It requires educating people. Investors are keen on putting money into this model,” he said. Nsengiyumva said landowners could benefit significantly from the model. “If a landowner had a plot worth Rwf100 million and an investor builds a Rwf600 million apartment development, they can receive shares in housing units worth Rwf100 million or more in the apartments once completed, depending on negotiations,” he said. ALSO READ: 10 major changes in the new Kigali master plan He called for official guidelines governing the rehousing model and said its use should be made mandatory in unplanned settlements as a way of promoting vertical housing. Under the model, landowners who lack the capital to redevelop their property can enter into agreements with developers who finance construction. Ownership is then shared according to a mutually agreed formula, either through percentages or by allocating specific housing units or floors. Vivien Munyaburanga, President of the Governing Council of the Rwanda Urban Planners Institute (RUPI), said the government also has an important role to play in implementing the model. “Investors can build. They cannot relocate people,” he said, citing the Kagugu, Mpazi and Nyabisindu housing projects as examples of how residents can be relocated and provided with new housing. For private investors to participate in such areas, he said, the government must first resolve issues around compensation, relocation and land ownership. “Investors can come in if the government finishes land pooling and compensation before any tender. Publish a clean site: who is already rehoused, who stays, how many hectares are free for the commercial slice. No pending expropriation,” he said. Munyaburanga also called for a “One-Window Platform” for public-private partnerships (PPPs), allowing investors to handle all government procedures required for a PPP project through a single system. Under his proposal, the government would provide land and bulk infrastructure such as roads, water and power, while private developers would construct replacement housing alongside additional units for the commercial market. ALSO READ: Mpazi housing project expansion targets 4,000 units “The government puts in the land and bulk infrastructure — roads, water and power. The private party builds the replacement units plus the extra stock,” he said. He said social housing units could be financed through land made available for redevelopment rather than developer loans, which could increase the cost of rehousing. Munyaburanga also called for the gazetting of material and VAT relief measures already discussed by the Rwanda Housing Authority and said such incentives should be tied to projects that deliver replacement units and rent-to-own schemes. He further called for condominium and unit titles to be made fully enforceable so that landowners and investors can share floors and units without lengthy delays. “I believe the Ministry of Environment has moved on a condominium law; that needs to work in practice, not only on paper,” he said. He also called for clear rules governing rent-to-own arrangements, including the duration, ownership of units during the 15-to-20-year repayment period and what happens in cases of default. “This will help developers to model cash flow,” he said. Munyaburanga said the government should also formalise density bonuses for developments that incorporate affordable housing. “For example, the government can allow extra floors if the developer provides 15 per cent of the units at affordable rates for 10 years through inclusionary zoning,” he said. Under such an arrangement, developers could be allowed to build an extra floor or two if they set aside part of the development for affordable housing for an agreed period. BPR Bank’s Head of Business, Jean-Marc Gakwandi, said banks would be ready to finance people seeking to purchase apartments in such developments as investment in housing increases. The City of Kigali plans to engage private investors to construct 10,000 affordable houses within five years by replicating a rehousing model currently being implemented in Gitega Sector, Nyarugenge District. The city’s updated master plan introduces a flexible, incremental approach to development, allowing unplanned settlements to be upgraded without requiring the mass relocation of residents. The strategy is intended to accommodate Kigali’s growing population, which is projected to rise from about 1.7 million currently to 3.8 million by 2050.
