Eastern province
 
Ngoma—Ngoma district has ordered all houses built with weak materials and those on road boundaries are to be demolished.

District officer Charles Twayigize said residents would be given "ample time” to demolish their houses by themselves before the district took action.

Such houses include those that are built within city boundaries using trees, unburned bricks by use of soil and those built along boundaries of the main roads.

All houses must be 15 metres from road sides.

"We have given them almost two months to demolish their houses by themselves and put up the required ones which are supposed to be built using burned bricks and cement but they could not listen to our alarm,” Twayigize said.

Houses built before September 19 though will not be demolished, but must be passed on in legal wills to those who will use the land responsibly.

"We are soon giving them also time limits to put up updated houses or sell their land to those who will make good use of it as required by the law,” Twayigize said.

In conjunction with the district administration, the district lands office set October 29 as the deadline for people with letters demanding them to have demolished all houses that fall under that category.

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