The government has committed to clearing all outstanding expropriation fees, amounting to Rwf 21 billion, by the end of this year. The pledge also includes settling other arrears, such as unpaid office rent to property owners and outstanding payments to contractors. ALSO READ: Key infrastructure projects to look out for in 2025 As public infrastructure projects, including road construction, progress across the country, some citizens are required to vacate their properties to make way for such developments, which necessitates government compensation through expropriation. Currently, the government owes citizens approximately Rwf 21 billion in expropriation fees. “We held a meeting last week with the finance minister. We want to work as hard as possible to clear the expropriation fees,” said Olivier Kabera, the State Minister for Infrastructure, during his appearance before the parliamentary committee on governance affairs and gender on Monday, January 13. The committee was reviewing the 2023/2024 report of the Office of the Ombudsman. Kabera also noted that other outstanding payments, including those to contractors and for rental fees, are also being prioritised. ALSO READ: Ombudsman says over Rwf15bn owed to expropriated people “We want to make a consolidation so that during this year, we clear all the arrears,” he noted. In October 2024, Chief Ombudsman Madeleine Nirere reported that over Rwf 15.8 billion in expropriation compensation was still owed. The figure has since increased to Rwf 21 billion. She indicated that for the 2023/2024 fiscal year, there were 165,269 [expropriation] files in total, of which 163,647 were evaluated, 121,246 paid, while 42,401 have not yet been paid by the time. “We request that even the unpaid amount be cleared because people need compensation for the expropriated property,” she said then, calling for fast-tracking the payment process.
