KIGALI - Residents of Ngaruyinka, Murama cell in Kinyinya sector, Gasabo District, yesterday stormed Kigali City Council headquarters demanding an explanation over the stalled compensation for losses incurred during a 2008 expropriation exercise.

Last month, KCC and the Ministry of Local Government instructed Housing Bank of Rwanda (HBR), the area developers, to pay the affected residents 5% for the losses incurred during the exercise.

The bank evaluated the 200 hectare land in April 2008 in which 1,028 families were supposed to be expropriated within four months.

However, 700 families lost out and claim that they lost almost all their property and livelihoods as they were barred from working on their land as the bank promised to pay them in the agreed time. 

Led by their representative, Fulgence Seminega, the affected residents allege that they met with the Mayor, Dr. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, on April 22. 

"The Mayor visited us and promised that by May 22, we will have received our compensation packages, but no one has been paid,” Seminega said. "We came here to find out why we have not been paid as agreed.”

They also claim that the mayor promised to update them on the compensation process but she has not gotten back to them.

KCC officials barred the fuming residents from meeting the Mayor, telling them that they had to first seek an appointment.

When contacted, KCC’s Director General, Aimable Gasana Ndakengerwa, said that the residents will be paid by the end of the month.

"We gave the bank one month (ending with May) to have finished paying them.” Ndakengerwa said
Gervais Ntaganda, the bank’s Director General, said that they were looking for money to beat the deadline.

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