85 percent of land demarcated - RNRA

Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA) has so far demarcated and adjudicated 8,234,862 parcels of land countrywide, according to an official from the authority. In an interview with The New Times yesterday, Thierry Hoza Ngoga, Division Manager, Land Technical Operations at RNRA said that the land registration process is moving on smoothly despite the weather challenges. “Heavy rains are hampering the exercise, because we are doing it in an open air, but this will not stop from completing on time,” he added. “We have demarcated about 8.2 million plots of land which is equivalent to 85 percent of our estimated projections to register land in the whole country.” Land demarcation and adjudication is set for completion by June next year and the issuance of land titles is set to be finished by December 2013. Ngoga mentioned that 854,435 land titles have been issued nationwide adding that the exercise is taking place accross the country. The issuance of land titles, attests to a person’s ownership of a given piece of land and it is very vital in land registration process. He noted that Kirehe District and the districts in Kigali city have been 100 percent covered in terms of land demarcation and adjudication and as well as issuance of land titles. “We have issued titles to peoples in the districts of Kigali City but they are hesitant to come and get their land titles,” he said. Ngoga said that people are fully participating in the land registration process in the whole country adding that this would help them to complete the exercise on time. “Land registration and ownership is benefiting Rwandans a lot because some people are using their land as collateral to acquire loans from microfinance institutions,” he emphasized. Evariste Manirakiza, a resident in Gasabo district told The New Times that he has acquired his land title and he has overall authority on his land. “I can use my land for anything I want, I am going to build residential facilities for the people to rent and this will boost my income generation,” he asserted. frank.kanyesigye@newtimes.corw

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85 percent of land demarcated - RNRA