Kigali City Council yesterday met residents of Kicukiro District at Amani Guest House to discuss land-related problems and how the city’s new Master Plan is going to affect them.

Two months ago, Government approved Kigali City’s Master Plan. The plan, designed by a U.S. firm OR International aims at transforming Kigali into a modern city and cater for its expansion in the next 50 years.

City officials say that they want to first solve current land-related problems of the residents and then ensure that the plans of each and every area are respected.

"We need to ensure that land allocation services are quickly and well rendered to the residents in order to achieve the Master Plan’s vision,” said the city’s Vice Mayor in charge of Finance and Economic Development, Dieudonné Rumaragishyika.

According to Rumaragishyika, the city’s plans to halt land-related problems and ensure that the town is built in a modern way include the preparation of more plots for buildings, design local area Master Plans and appoint grassroot land commissions which will ensure that all land-related issues are settled and the Master Plan respected.

"What we need is to know the problems’ roots. Let people address to us their problems so that we can find solutions for them,” said Kigali City Mayor Dr. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira who listened to the residents’ numerous problems.

Land-related cases already in courts, misallocation of plots and land title-related cases were among the grievances the residents, who were crowded in the conference room, talked about.

"Honorable Vice-Mayor, at least give me a guarantee that you are the one I will meet when I come to the District’s office. Please render me justice,” one of the residents directly addressed Kicukiro District’s Vice Mayor in charge of Economic Affairs, Jacqueline Kanyamugenge, after stating her land problem. 

Most of the residents were accorded appointments by the officials regarding when their land issues would be dealt with.

The City officials first visited Gasabo District then Kacyiru District, and they are reportedly planning to visit other districts in the city in order to have a clear view of all land-related problems and take measures to solve them.

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