The planned rehousing of Nyabisindu’s unplanned settlement in Gasabo District, which is set to benefit over 1,300 families, will commence no later than April, according to the Minister of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Olivier Kabera. Kabera said this on January 13, during a session with the Lower House’s Committee on Governance Affairs and Gender, which was analysing the Office of the Ombudsman’s report for the 2023/2024 fiscal year. ALSO READ: City of Kigali to use $70m to upgrade major unplanned settlements The minister was responding to concerns raised by MP Jeanne d’Arc Debonheur about the uncertainty among Nyabisindu residents regarding the rehousing plans. “Many residents are confused about what will happen in the area. Some are worried because they have ongoing activities or loans, and they fear that being relocated will disrupt their livelihoods. They also question whether the new housing provided will adequately compensate for what they had before,” she said. Kabera explained that the Nyabisindu rehousing project is modelled after the Mpazi program and is part of Kigali’s urban development initiatives to upgrade unplanned settlements. ALSO READ: Inside models to upgrade unplanned settlements in Kigali “This plan is still under development and has not yet been made public,” he said, emphasising that the goal is to improve living conditions without uprooting residents from their community. “We want to do rehousing just like we did at Mpazi. What we do is upgrade the area where people live, and everyone who owned property in that place will receive a corresponding property in the new housing. For instance, if someone had two properties, they will get two properties in the rehousing project,” Kabera explained. The minister added that over 1,300 households across 38 hectares have been identified for the project. New flats will be constructed to house even more families, with affordability being a key priority. ALSO READ: CoK names high-risk zones whose residents face evacuation orders Kabera also noted the challenges of Nyabisindu’s current unplanned settlement, where inadequate infrastructure has made life difficult for residents. “In Nyabisindu, people currently live in unplanned houses where even motorcycles can’t access certain areas, and running water or strong winds can easily damage homes. With the new housing, we are transitioning from horizontal living to vertical housing, just like Mpazi,” he said. Public engagement with residents is scheduled to take place before to address their concerns. “Over 85 per cent of the people are happy because they visited Mpazi and saw the results of the rehousing project there,” Kabera added.
