CONTRIBUTION OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN RWANDA’S LAND REFORM PROCESS

“The success of Rwanda Land Reform Process is rooted in the successful partnership between the Government and the Civil Society since the start of the process in 1999”, proudly states Ms. Annie Kairaba, the Director of Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development (RISD).  RISD is local Non-Government Organization and is the lead in land reform process in Rwanda, which has consistently engaged in the process since 1999 at the inception phase till now at implementation and monitoring phase.

The strength of RISD is her capacity to network and engage other civil society organizations as well as government institutions and donors.  Since 1^st March 2012, RISD in partnership with Collectif des Ligues et Associations de Défense des Droits de l’Homme” (CLADHO), is implementing a project on “Securing Land Rights” as a continued but unique civil society contribution to the sustainability of the Rwandan Land Reform Process. This is a three year project that is scheduled to end on the 28^th February 2015.

Rwanda Land Reform is implemented through a government program known as the “Land Tenure Regularization Program” (LTRP). Hence, RISD project’s main objective is to contribute to the effective implementation of the LTRP towards poverty reduction and sustainable peace.

This objective will be achieved through the capability of Abunzi to document and resolve pending land related disputes as follow-up to the LTRP. The Project is implemented in 10 districts on a pilot basis during the first year of the project, 2012, and is scheduled to expand to a total of 15 districts during the year 2013, with a vision of covering all 30 Districts by end of the project in 2015.

The 10 project districts for 2012 are: Gasabo and Kicukiro (Kigali Province); Kirehe and Kayonza (Eastern Province); Musanze and Muhanga (Nothern Provice); Kamonyi and Nyaruguru (Southern Province); Rubavu and Karongi (Western Province). The 5 districts the project will expand to in 2013 are: Nyarugenge, Nyagatare, Gicumbi, Nyabihu, and Gisagara.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

“If implemented as planned, I am convinced that, by the end of this project in 2015, land related pending cases will have reduced by between 75% - 80%”, asserts, Mr. Anastase Balinda, the Executive Secretary of the Mediators Secretariat in the Ministry of Justice. 

Although RISD has implemented other land related programs, this particular project demonstrates an effective engagement of stakeholders. The project is implemented by civil society in partnership with the Natural Resource Authority Office and the MINIJUST, through the Mediators Secretariat; and is funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands with technical expertise contributions from Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Inter Church Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO).    

“A Community with no disputes related to land is a strong indicator sustainable poverty reduction strategy and sustainable peace in the Country, and this is the biggest commitment of RISD contribution as we rebuild our nation”, states, the Right Rev. Bishop, Nathan Gasatura, the Chairperson of RISD’s Board of Directors.

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Gender Equality: It’s smart and it’s right

The current inequities in land access also raise a human rights issue. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognises the right to property for all. This includes the right to land, which is the most important physical asset in poor agrarian economies. The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) calls for equal rights of both spouses in terms of the ownership, acquisition, management, administration, enjoyment, and disposition of household property (Article 16).

A number of promising innovations for improving women’s access to land are being tested. For example, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Colombia, Peru, and Nicaragua have introduced joint land titling for spouses. In Nepal, a tax exemption (of 10 per cent in 2008, subsequently increased to 25–40 per cent) helped raise the number of households reporting women’s access to land ownership from 11 per cent in 2001 to 35 per cent in 2009.

http://blogs.oxfam.org/sites/blogs.oxfam.org/files/gender-equality-smart-right-niasse-dec2012.pdf

Hatangijwe inama mpuzamahanga ku igenagaciro ry’ubutaka

• Nsengiyumva Fidèle
• 11/12/2012
• 
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Umuyobozi muri RNRA, ishami rishinzwe kubarura ubutaka, Eng. Didier Giscard Sagashya (Ifoto/Nsengiyumva F.)

Mu gihe mu gihugu cy’u Rwanda hari gutezwa imbere politiki iboneye ku micungire y’ubutaka hagamijwe ko bwakoreshwa neza bugatanga umusaruro ku buryo buri munyarwanda yihaza mu biribwa ndetse akanasagurira amasoko; hagiye hakorwa gahunda zitandukanye harimo guhuza ubutaka kugira ngo bukoreshwe neza ndetse no kubwandikisha.

Ku wa 10 Ukuboza 2012, muri Hotel Lemigo hateraniye inama mpuzamahanga yahuje abafatanyabikorwa mu by’ubutaka baturutse muri Afurika y’Iburasirazuba ndetse no ku mugabane w’u Burayi aho barebera hamwe uburyo nyuma yo kwandikisha ubutaka bwakagombye kubyazwa umusaruro mu bikorwa bitandukanye harimo kubutangaho ingwate kugira ngo nyirabwo abone inguzanyo imufasha kwiteza imbere.

Nk’uko ikinyamakuru Izuba Rirashe cyabitangarijwe n’umuyobozi mu Kigo cy’igihugu gishinzwe umutungo kamere (RNRA), ishami rishinzwe ibijyanye n’ubutaka Eng. Didier Giscard Sagashya, muri iyi nama abafatanyabikorwa bagiye guhanahana ubunararibonye mu buryo bashyiraho politiki z’ubutaka; no ku buryo umuntu aha agaciro ubutaka.

Eng. Sagashya ati: “Bamwe mu baturage wasangaga bahura n’ikibazo cyo kwimurwa bakajya impaka bavuga ko babahaye amafaranga make atajyanye n’agaciro k’ubutaka bwabo, ariko muri iyi nama turahigira uburyo mu bindi bihugu baha agaciro mu mafaranga ubutaka dore ko bugira agaciro katangana bitewe n’aho buri.”

Mu guha agaciro mu mafaranga ubutaka, abaturage batuye ahantu nyaburanga baba bafite ubutaka buhenze kurusha ahandi, nyuma yo kubuha agaciro umuturage kandi azaba ashobora kuba yabubyaza umusaruro ku buryo butandukanye harimo kuba yabugira ingwate mu mabanki.

Eng. Sagashya akomeza avuga ko mu Rwanda hari politiki y’ubutaka n’amategeko bisobanutse ndetse n’igikorwa cyo kubarura ubutaka cyagenze neza, igisigaye akaba ari ugutangiza iyi gahunda yo guha agaciro ubutaka mu mafaranga, buri wese akamenya umutungo yabaruje uko agaciro kawo kangana.

Abajijwe ku bijyanye na politiki yo guhuza ubutaka, Eng. Sagashya yatangaje ko iyi gahunda yatangiye mu rwego rwo gukemura ikibazo cy’udusambu duto usanga abantu bafite hagamijwe gushyira hamwe bakongera umusaruro, ubutaka ntibube ubwo gutunga umuntu kugira ngo adapfa gusa ahubwo bubashe kumuteza imbere.

Umuhuzabikorwa w’umuryango wa Loni ushinzwe kurwanya ubutayu UNCCD ishami rya Afurika Boubacar Cisse, yatangarije iki kinyamakuru ko kubarura ubutaka umuntu akamenya agaciro kabwo mu mafaranga ari ingenzi kuko bituma abasha kubucunga.

Boubacar ati: “Kugira ngo hakorwe politiki nziza y’ubukungu n’igenamigambi hashingirwa ku byo umuntu afite; ibi bimenyekana binyuze mu kuba wahaye agaciro ubutaka ndetse bikanifashishwa nk’ibipimo by’ubukungu, bigatuma hatangwa imibare y’ubukungu ishingiye ku kuri .”

Eng. Sagashya yasoje avuga ko gahunda yo guhuza ubutaka yatangijwe mu gihugu cyacu mu myaka ya 2008/2009 izagira uruhare mu kugeza ku Banyarwanda ku iterambere rigamijwe mu cyerekezo 2020, aho buri Munyarwanda azava ku musaruro ungana n’amadorari 600 akajya ku madorari 1200 ku mwaka.

Source: Izuba

Civil society steps up efforts to address land disputes

People tilling land. The New Times / File.

Civil Society Organisations dealing with land related issues under their umbrella organisation, LandNet Rwanda Chapter, have reaffirmed their commitment to support the population to address land disputes.

Speaking at the association’s general assembly on Wednesday, the Coordinator, Annie Kairaba, said that as the land registration exercise comes to a close, there are many other challenges that need to be addressed.

"Previously, most Rwandans did not reorganise the value of land as it is today or after registering it; and this is creating fresh disputes especially among family members," Kairaba said.

She explained that family members have realised that land tittles do not only prove ownership, but also give chances of accessing loans from financial institutions.

Kairaba, who is the Country Director of Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development (RISD), observed that despite the positive impact of the land registration exercise, there is need to monitor the population to ensure that land disputes are avoided.

The meeting that also aimed at assessing the role of CSOs in the implementation of the land reforms considering the Land Policy and Law through advocacy to protecting rights of property owners, attracted among others representatives from Rwanda Natural Resource Authority (RNRA).

During the general assembly, participants from various organisations were given a chance to express their expectations from Land Net as well as what they plan to do in hitting the organisation’s target.

In 2004, an organic law on land was enacted to guarantee a safe and stable form of land tenure. This paved way for registering land for individuals to own it unlike before when it was considered government property.

Eng. Didier Giscard Sagashya, Deputy Director General for Lands and Mapping at RNRA, appreciated the role of CSOs in addressing land disputes.

He gave an over view of what has so far been done and future plans to have the exercise completed.

"In seven districts, work is totally complete and we are distributing land tittles as we also work towards completing the remaining districts," he said. The districts include Kirehe, Bugesera, Rwamagana, Kamonyi, Kicukiro, Nyarugenge and Gasabo.

Sagashya is optimistic that the target to have land titles issued across the country by December 2013 will be met.

Source: The Newtimes

First Africa Land Forum: Challenging times for indigenous peoples and pastoralists in Africa

November 14, 2012, Yaoundé, Cameroon -

From November 7-8, 2012, 95 participants from 22 countries convened at the Hotel Franco in Yaoundé, Cameroon for the 1st Africa Land Forum with the theme ‘Securing the land rights of indigenous people and rural communities’. The forum was organized by the Mbororo Social and Cultural Development Association of Cameroon (MBOSCUDA) and the International Land Coalition (ILC) Africa.
The Africa Land Forum included presentations from nationally recognized activists and land rights experts in Cameroon, including Dr. Manu Ibrahim, lecturer at the University of Dschang, Mr. Abdoulaye Harrissou, acclaimed author of 'Land, a human right: micro-properties, social peace and development' and the esteemed Hawa Bouba of MUSAB Cameroon. ILC Africa members from throughout Africa presented their achievements and lessons learned for promoting people-centred land governance at the national level. The importance of gender equity and women’s land rights was a central theme throughout the Forum.
During his keynote speech, MBOSCUDA National President El Hadj Jaji Manu Gidado, declared “Our country, Cameroon, is made up of 240 different ethnic groups, including the Mbororo and Pygmies. MBOSCUDA is one of the principle organizations advocating for their political and socio-economic emancipation”. He exclaimed,. “Every day land is becoming more precious. The rich are becoming more interested in land that belongs to the  indigenous and rural poor communities, who are considered as everlasting strangers who must one day leave their land. We are saying no, we are all Cameroonians, we are all Africans, and all of us have the same rights.”
On the second day of the Forum, a delegation of ten forum participants, including ILC Africa Chair Odenda. Lumumba, Mr. Gidado, representatives of indigenous people in Kenya and Madagascar, and the ILC Secretariat were summoned by Cameroon Prime Minister Philémon Yunji Yang to discuss national land reform and indigenous peoples.
Musa Usman, MBOSCUDA Vice President, articulated their discontent with the marginalization of indigenous people in Cameroon from decision-making processes to the Prime Minister. Mr. Lumumba explained ILC’s program supporting the development of National Engagement Strategies (NES) for collaborative land policy reform processes that bring together diverse stakeholders, including governments, and how this process could be relevant to the land reforms of Cameroon.
Emphasizing his support for engaging with MBOSCUDA in the land reform process, Mr. Yang said, “I am very hopeful that organisations like yours can help us in the land reform process. The ILC can help support governments in this regard by sharing lessons learned elsewhere.”
At the end of the forum, participants unanimously approved the Yaoundé Declaration, which identifies emerging issues and challenges on land issues and details eight recommendations focused on African governments, in particular the government of Cameroon. The Yaoundé Declaration highlighted both the Africa Land Policy Framework and the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security, and calls on governments to reform of national land processes to adhere to them.
ILC Africa Chair Odenda Lumumba said, “This declaration will guide our future dealings and concerns about land issues in Africa. It’s not going to be easy, as land in agriculture in Africa basically serves vested interests.” Many African countries are now developing new national land frameworks.
To read the full Declaration issued by the land forum, visit: http://www.landcoalition.org/news/yaounde-declaration-1st-ilc-africa-land-forum
The program and presentations can be downloaded from the ILC website: http://www.landcoalition.org/events/1st-africa-land-forum-securing-land-rights-indigenous-people-and-rural-communities
Pictures of the land forum can be viewed on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/landcoalition/sets/72157631944415004/

Source: International Land Coalition

Land Owners to Be Fined

The minister of natural resources Stanislas Kamanzi, has warned land owners will be fined if they fail to effectively utilize and protect their land.
Other sanctions include confiscation of the land after giving a warning to landholders that fail to effectively use their lands.
According to art.73 of Organic Law N° 08/2005 of 14/07/2005 determining the use and management of land in Rwanda stipulates that the district, municipality and town land commission shall always monitor that individual and leased district land in the district, municipality and town is well managed and productively exploited.
According to the recent land registration process, it was noted that about 75% of Rwandans possess a plot of land which is not exceeding a ¼ ha.
This was revealed by Minister of Natural resources Stanislas Kamanzi during the meeting with Southern province authorities.
Though the lands in possession are too small, residents blamed for failure to effectively use those small lands while at the same time protecting them to be affected by soil erosion.

Source 

US AID Land Project: Requests For Proposals For Research on Three Land-Related Themes

Initiated in June 2012, the LAND Project seeks to strengthen the resilience of Rwandan citizens, communities and institutions and their ability to adapt to land-related economic, environmental and social change. 

Building the capacity of Rwandan institutions to produce high quality, evidence based research on land is a critical part of reaching this goal. Solid, empirical research is fundamental to the identification of needed policy changes in the land sector and also to validate policies and laws that are already contributing to stronger citizen resilience and improved livelihoods.

From September 24th to 26th, the LAND Project held a multi-stakeholder workshop to identify key, policy-relevant research priorities on land. Drawing from a list of 58 research themes submitted in advance of the workshop, participants collaborated to distill this down to three research priorities that would receive LAND Project support during the first year: Subsequently, LAND Project sought the views of several GOR institutions whose mandates intersect with these research priorities to help inform that development of draft technical Terms of Reference for each theme.

Requests for Comments on the technical Terms of Reference were then published and responses from stakeholders informed the further development of those TORs for incorporation into the present Requests for Proposals.

The LAND Project is eliciting three separate Requests for Proposals (RFP) for research on the following themes:

1. Examination of the Inheritance and Succession Law and its Practice in relation to Land Rights: A Gender   Perspective;

2. Assessment of the Socio-economic and Environmental Impacts of the Land Use Consolidation Component of the Crop Intensification Program in Rwanda; and

3. Land Market Values, Urban Land Policies, and their Impacts in Urban Centers of Rwanda.

Only Rwandan organizations or companies are eligible to submit tenders. If you are interested in receiving a copy of one or more of the above RFPs, please send a request to 


LAND Project Operations Director, Andrew Musemakweli 
amusemakweli@land-project.org. 

Please be sure to specify clearly which RFP you wish to receive.

Proposals must be received no later than 16h30 on Wednesday, 4th December 2012, following the instructions contained in the RFPs.

Source 

Land reforms boost women rights

A woman inspects her farm. With registration, land rights are better safeguarded. The New Times / File.

Rwanda’s land reforms have allowed the public to safeguard their rights on land which has significantly improved livelihoods among communities, according to the 2012 ActionAid report.

The report, titled ‘Lay of the Land Improving Land Governance to Stop Land Grabs’, is a result of a survey that covered 24 countries worldwide.

“By making land registration a top government priority, Rwanda’s communities’ and women’s land rights are better safeguarded. Women-focused legislation has improved women’s access to land, removing, on paper and customary gender discrimination,” the report reads in part.

“The research has revealed that the new land policy and legislation are, in practice, ensuring that women’s land rights are protected, especially land access and rights for widows and female orphans.”

The survey states that women and vulnerable groups are safeguarded from land grabbing and uncompensated displacement, which is remarkable considering Rwanda’s recent history and existing pressure on land.

In 2004, the government enacted an organic law on land to guarantee a safe and stable form of land tenure. Before that, the country never had a proper land policy.

In order to define and decide how the land registration process should be carried out, a Ministerial Decree determining modalities of registration was enacted in 2008 and a year later, the land registration process kicked off.

The land registration exercise that was completed in June saw about 10.4 million land parcels demarcated and adjudicated around the country.

Speaking to The New Times yesterday, Deputy Director General of the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA) in charge of Department of Lands and Mapping, Eng. Didier G. Sagashya, noted that the report acknowledges Government efforts to address issues of land ownership.

“It is true Rwanda is carrying out land reforms since 2004, this started by putting in place the national land policy and then the organic law determining the use and management of land, and lately the implementation of systematic land registration process through the Land Tenure Regularisation,” he observed.

Sagashya said the institution has so far distributed 2.8 million land titles to land owners with the remaining expected to be issued by December 2013.

However the collection process is slow with at least three million land titles still unclaimed.

The ActionAid report argues that the current rise in land grabbing needs to be addressed urgently. It focuses on the actions that developing countries can take to mitigate land grabs through strengthening national land governance by making it transparent, accountable and protect communities’ rights.

“Rwanda is not among countries concerned with land grabbing because it has a clear policy on land ownership. With implementation of that policy that is why all land parcels in the country are being registered to their claimants (who used to have it as customary),” said Sagashya.

The survey states that Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Liberia, among other developing countries, have large-scale land acquisitions for investment and agri-business which has resulted in land grabbing from customary owners.

Rwanda is not devoid of land conflicts either.

“During the land registration exercise, we registered 10,716 parcels of land with conflicts which is 0.1 per cent  of the total number of parcels demarcated in the country and 90 per cent of those conflicts are intra-family,” Sagashya said.

“Resolving land conflicts starts from family meetings; if not resolved; the case proceeds to mediators if the value of the conflicted property does not exceed Rwf3 million. If the conflict is not resolved, it has to be taken to courts of law.”

Sagashya cited the land and succession law, which gives men and women equal rights over land whether it is through land sharing, inheritance or land allocation.

From Newtimes

Expedite mass Sensitisation on land rights

Three million land title deeds remain unclaimed at the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority.The Authority says that most land owners claim that only government can guarantee safe custody of the valuable documents. This is a vote of confidence in government.

It shows that people have more trust in government to keep their valuable assets.
However it is important for the people to be enlightened on how best to use their land titles instead of leaving them in custody of the Lands office.

This could partly be addressed by mass sensitisation on land rights from the grassroots to the national level.  When government embarked on the land policy reforms in 2009, the exercise aimed at stimulating growth through improved land tenure rights. 

And this objective will be realized  when land owners realize that these land title deeds are an asset to the owners and can be used as security to get loans to start up income generating activities.  

Land is the biggest capital that most people in rural areas can use to alleviate themselves from poverty.
It is encouraging that the Authority intends to increase awareness among Rwandans on the importance of being the primary custodians of their land title deeds and to use them in the best way possible to uplift their standards of living.

The awareness is important because for most rural people their only security is usually land.  The Authority should consider using local leaders in this sensitisation programme. 

There is a growing consensus among the development experts that ensuring access to land and security of land tenure have potential to spur improved socio-economic development.

Source: Newtimes

Millions of land titles unclaimed

Three million land title deeds remain unclaimed at the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority, a senior official has said.

“We issued 5.8 million title deeds of which only 2.8 million have been collected… another three million are with us unclaimed,” Didier Sagashya, a Deputy Director General responsible for lands and mapping at the authority told The New Times during an interview last week.

He said that most land owners claim that only government can guarantee safe custody of the valuable documents.

The official also said that although his office has demarcated 10.4 million plots, countrywide, it has full information for 8.7 million only.

He added that the majority of Rwandans in rural areas fear the documents can either be destroyed by rodents or mortgaged to banks by dishonest relatives.

According to Sagashya, often a number of title deeds have been dispatched to sectors only to lie idle and later returned. Sector offices are easily accessible to all citizens countrywide.

“Collection of land title deeds is ongoing…,” he noted.

Sagashya says other individuals claim they lack the Rwf1,000 title deed processing fee.

However, government through the Ubudehe scheme, has waived this fee among citizens under category I and 2 who are regarded as the most vulnerable and also qualify for free health insurance cover.

According statistics at the ministry of Local Government and Social Affairs, which oversees the Ubudehe programme, Rwandans under this category are slightly above two million, representing 22.28 per cent of the total population.

“They are mainly the vulnerable people who constitute 25 per cent of total households in Rwanda,” an official at the ministry told The New Times.

Another group said to be reluctant to collect the title deeds are urban dwellers with pieces of land in rural areas.

The official said his department intends to increase awareness among Rwandans on the importance of being the primary custodians of their land title deeds.

He added that his office is working alongside the Rwandan Development Board (RDB) and the City of Kigali to create an interfaced land administration system to work as a data bank for all land transactions in the country.

Narcisse Kalisa, the national programme manager at Search for Common Ground, told The New Times in a separate interview that his organisation was sponsoring a number of drama programmes on community radios to increase awareness on land rights.

“We are saying that ‘look, these are your codified land tenure rights’,” Kalisa explained.

According to Sagashya, the land registry is working hard to ensure another 1.2 million title deeds are issued by end of December 2012.

“Apart from hospitals, I think this is the only public office in this country where staff work in shifts,” he emphasised.

He revealed that family conflicts over land ownership had grossed over 10,000.

Other experts argue that some people are reluctant to collect the deeds as they are unfamiliar with the new concept of individualised land tenure system.

Until 2004, all land belonged to government, but citizens would exercise the right of use.

To operationalise the land policy reforms, government began to map land in countrywide in 2009. The exercise ended in June 2012 with 10.4 million plots of land demarcated.

The project cost $56 million with most of funds coming from the UK government through its international development agency, Department for International Development (DfID).

The exercise aimed at stimulating growth through improved land tenure rights.

Worldwide, there is a growing consensus among the development experts on the link between ensuring access to land and security of land tenure and improved socio-economic development.

Source: Newtimes

Land rights research gets $12m US funding

The United States Agency for International development (USAID) has committed $12 million to fund a study on land related issues in the country.

The five-year project seeks to find solutions to wrangles emanating from land, the single most cause of conflict, especially in rural areas.

The USAID vice president in Rwanda, Brian Frantz, made the announcement during a workshop to discuss land related issues in Kigali on Wednesday.

The three-day workshop brought together officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources, USAID, NGOs, and universities, among others, to consider the priority areas of the study.

“USAID has different issues it supports (in the country) but land issues research will be addressed during this period,” Frantz stated.

He noted that his organisation would support research in selected areas to help the government and other stakeholders to solve land conflicts.

”The land project was designed in five years and Abunzi, community mediators, will be trained to acquire enough knowledge to solve land disputes,” he revealed.

“Abunzi have previously been criticised as having acted as judges rather than playing their role as mediators but they also play a critical role in solving land disputes”.

USAID’s chief of party of the land project, Anna Knox, said; “Through hosting a workshop dedicated to establish the most critical land related policy research priorities, the land project will have the basis to support Rwandan researchers on this through competitive subcontracts.” 

The selected priorities are inheritance and succession law and practice in relation to land rights, land use consolidation about environmental and socio-economic impact, assessment of the determinant factors of land market value and mapping land dispute resolution processes and institution and making comparisons.

Qualified researchers will be helped through the USAID support to find the solutions and measures taken to resolve them.

 The acting Director General in charge of Land and Mapping at the Ministry of Natural Resources, Pothin Muvala, appreciated USAID’s initiative to support the study saying land issues still persist.

“When the research is carried out in these selected areas, it will help implementers to know where they are, their weaknesses and improve their jobs thanks to the research results.”

Article from the Newtimes

Journalists trained on reporting land related issues

The executive secretary of Media High Council (MHC), Emmanuel Mugisha, has said land remains a highly complex and contentious issue, involving economic, social, political, and cultural concerns and that the media has a role to play as a stakeholder in improving and promoting good governance, accountability and transparency in land sector.
Mugisha made the remarks yesterday during the opening of a one-day workshop for media practitioners and chief editors on ‘Transparency in land administration.’ The workshop aims at equipping journalists with skills on reporting land-related issues.
“Land has an impact on everyone either willing or not.  Journalists are the eye of the society and there is no justification for ignoring such an influential issue,” he said. “Transparency is a critical component of a well functioning land administration, in particular in view of the poor dissemination of public information on land rights and policies.”
Mugisha stressed that the risk of corruption is very real in land allocation and management elsewhere. The consequences to the public often take the form of difficult access to land assets, unawareness of land policies and legal frameworks, ignorance about land transactions and prices, misallocation of land rights, and other land issues.
He observed that national land policies have sometimes been misunderstood because the media was ignoring them. “Our audience might get tired of the political issues that we offer abundantly. There are also other fields that we eventually ignore but which have a great impact on the citizens’ daily livelihoods. Reporting on land related issues will help mitigate land related conflicts based on ignorance which mainly take place at the grassroots level.”
James Daale Simon, the program coordinator at Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development (RISD) told the journalists that their role should be advocacy, capacity building and policy research.
“You have to advocate for those whom you think will be affected by ‘poor’ land policies. That cannot be possible unless you have done your ‘policy’ research. But first you have to find sometimes to build their capacities through your media with land issues related program or articles. All these have to be pro-poor and to favor mainly the vulnerable groups such as orphans, widows, genocide survivors.”
According to the National Institute of Statistics in Rwanda (NISR)’s report published in 2011, 80 per cent of Rwandans survive due to agriculture in a country of 10.7 million people (2011).
“The complexity with our land is population with a population density of 403 people per square kilometer. Land scarcity if 81.7 per cent in cities and 18.35 in rural areas. With this fast population growth, good land governance becomes a priority. Isn’t that worth reporting?” asked Daale.
The workshop was organized by MHC in partnership with the World Bank, the ministry of local government, the Rwanda Environmental Management Authority (REMA), the Natural Resources Authority, and Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development.

http://focus.rw/wp/2012/09/journalists-trained-on-reporting-land-related-issues/

Civil society seeks media partnership

Members of the Civil Society discussing with journalists during the media breakfast yesterday. The New Times / J. Mbanda.

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have been urged to work hand-in-hand with the media so as to voice concerns that affect the population. 

Speaking at a media breakfast in Kigali, yesterday, Oxfam’s Director of Campaigns and Policy, Kevin Thierry Gatete said: “Our activities comprise of programmes that enable us to directly connect with the local population, meaning that we have more information for the media as a channel through which the government can get to know of the communities”

The event, held under the theme, “Strengthening the relationship between Civil Society and the media to promote pro-poor reporting”, journalists had an interactive session with representatives of various NGOs.

He said the partnership would not only bridge gaps that might be existing between the two parties, but will also enable the media to get information about issues raised by the population.

“The media is not only for the business community to advertise or public institutions to communicate of what is expected from the population, but it should also be used to inform the government about the demands of its citizens,” Gatete pointed out.

He explained that the partnership will also play a crucial role in setting a platform that will enable CSOs and the media to work towards a common goal.

Among others they discussed how and what each NGO was working on, challenges and future plans.

It was organised in partnership with an umbrella of local NGOs known by its French acronym as CCOAIB.

Speaking to The New Times, CCOAIB`s Project Coordinator, Vincent Sinduhunga, said that more efforts will be put in making sure that CSO`s serve the right purpose.

Responding to claims from the media that sometimes CSOs do not do much to advocate for the population, Sinduhunga explained they are independent organisations that have a clearly stipulated work plans and mandate.

“We are purely independent organs but this does not mean that we are against good programmes that the government may initiate; in fact we only have to come in for advocacy when we realise that rights of the population are being violated,” he said.

Meanwhile, Civil Society Organisations members of Rwanda Civil Society Platform (RCSP) have been called on to take active participation and contribution in the on going East Africa Community (EAC) integration process.

Thaddie Karekezi, the Executive Secretary of RCSP made the call on Thursday during the general assembly of the East African Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (EACSOF)-Rwanda Chapter. RCSP is a member of the EACSOF.

He said although it was difficult for the five countries to move at the same pace in implementing requirements to speed up the integration process, there is need for CSO`s in the region to first of all educate the population about the need for integration.

“For the population to benefit from the integration, they need to fully understand why there is need for integration. This will not only enable citizens to develop mechanisms through which they can benefit from it but will also influence the speeding up of the process,” said Karekezi.

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=15116&a=58369#.UFS4ZsucN0g.email

PUBLICATION: Selected Taylor & Francis Group Articles from African and African Studies Journals

The Taylor & Francis Group publishes several leading African and African Studies journals and is committed to disseminating and showcasing African research in the global online environment in a variety of subject areas, from
the arts to zoology, economics to the environment, mathematics to music.
To show their support for Africa Day they have collated a selection of top articles which engage with Africa on a number of key themes, shown below, and have made them free to access online from the 25th May – 31st August.

• African Political Elections
• Land Grab in Africa
• Sudan in the Spotlight
• Arts and Film
• Climate Change and Environment
• The Lord’s Resistance Army

See the full selection of available articles here (pdf).Available through August 31, 2012

PUBLICATION: Land Governance in Africa (ILC)

A new publications from the International Land Coalition looks at how historical context has shaped key contemporary issues relating to policy on land.

This study outlines the main contemporary debates on land within Africa, and the frameworks and contexts that influence the framing and reform of land policy. The land question is placed within a historical context, which examines the changing frameworks of land administration across the continent and the influences of past policies on the present. This helps in identifying the economic, political, and social factors that have shaped the land question in different sub-regions. It also shows the evolution of debates and their often circular nature; recurring debates include customary versus statutory tenure, user rights, historical claims on land, individual property rights, and the need to create land markets for productive investments, as well as the relative efficiency of smallholder versus large estate agriculture and the need to protect livelihood interests of poor rural people.
Beginning with customary land tenure systems in the pre-colonial era, the study charts the evolution of land tenure and governance in different countries and regions during colonialism, independence, and the economic liberalism and structural adjustment policies of the late twentieth century. It examines the barriers to land access faced by groups such as women, pastoralists, tenants, and migrants, and questions the role of land titling in improving access to land. It also examines contemporary phenomena such as the upsurge in foreign investment and “land grabbing” for the production of food crops and biofuels, and for investment and speculation.
Recent initiatives in attempting to implement pro-poor land reforms have resulted in an increased awareness of the dynamics of customary land management, their political implications, and the need to create innovative institutions that facilitate dialogue among multiple interest groups. These are major achievements that need to guide future developments of land forums, policy debates, and new policy initiatives.

Available here.

90 per cent of Kigali residential land earmarked for apartments

City officials have said only 10 per cent of Kigali’s land will be reserved for bungalows.

In an exclusive interview, Kigali Vice-Mayor in charge of Finance and Economic Development, Alphonse Nizeyimana, explained that the move is in line with sustainable urban planning.

Nizeyimana said Kigali has only 52 per cent of land for development, and stressed that apartments were for better land management.

“We have very limited land for development and to mitigate the problem of the density, we have to adopt suitable policies,” Nizeyimana said.

“We have provided only 10 per cent for high-end houses and people to embrace the new changes in the city. We will not allow anyone to build anyhow. People have to abide by the city master plan.”

Most Rwandans fancy a home with a yard and an annex, a tendency that, according to city urban planners, threatens the city’s future in terms of development.

Kigali’s current population is estimated at 1.2 million, but it’s expected to reach 2.9 million by 2025, and five million in 2040.

According to Nizeyimana, embracing condominiums would curb the insufficiency of water supply and energy.

“It costs the government Rwf5 million to connect a home to electricity and water, but with apartments, it would cost Rwf 2 million, hence every citizen would access both water and energy easier,” he noted.

The country still faces challenges of shortage of water, but the government says it wants to work with other development partners to increase access to safe water from 71% today to 100% by 2017.

Nizeyimana added that the introduction of apartments will not only improve the city’s urban development but would boost business.

“With apartments, one lower ground floor will accommodate commercial area with restaurants and with we hope it will raise business,” Nizeyimana said.

Members of Project Umubano, an initiative of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, have advised the government, Kigali authorities as well as developers, to embrace apartment accommodation for better land management.

A team of seven urban planners, who were in the country as part of the project’s latest mission, concluded that there was an urgent need for the country to turn to apartments to help sustain Rwanda’s urban planning to mitigate fears of  rapid population growth both in the city and the country.

The city has over 730 square kilometres of hills and valleys, with only 422,825 square metres appropriate for development.

Esther Mutamba, the Director General of Rwanda Housing Authority, told this paper earlier that the government has already started sensitising the population on the benefits of what she called housing cooperative projects – beginning with civil servants”.

However, several citizens resist development of apartments, citing the associated costs, but concerned authorities target having 40,000 rentals by 2015 mostly for medium and low income earners. An apartment ranges between Rwf 28 million and 45 million.
It is estimated the country needs 25,000 housing units every year.
http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=15066&a=56411

City council consults public on master plans

An architectural design of Kigali Master Plan. The New Times / File.

The master plans for Kicukiro and Gasabo districts have been taken to the grass roots to enable city residents give their views on them, city officials have said.

The master plan for Nyarugenge District has since been completed.

According to the officials, residents’ feedback will be considered in the final master plan which will be out in December this year and the views will be collected at the sector offices where all designs of the master plans will be displayed.

According to Lilian Mupende, the Director of Kigali City One Stop Centre, this exercise will also help citizens better understand the zoning plan, a tool that is used to determine what development has been designated in a particular area within Kigali City.

“We will for a period of two weeks create awareness and gather feedback on the ongoing zoning plan for individual sectors. We also want people to know about the entire master plan,” Mupende said.

The views and feedback from the sectors will be collected  at the sector level before being forwarded to the City of Kigali.

Other feedback will be collected via facebook (Kigalicity2040).

Speaking to this paper, the Kigali’s Director of Media and Communication, Bruno Rangira, said the plan also accommodates more apartments than bungalows in residential areas to mitigate the growing shortage of housing within the city.

Kigali contracted Surbana International Consultants, a technical firm based in Singapore to review the planning, direction and strategies for the entire city while integrating all the previous plans and development initiatives.

Surbana will also prepare the detailed master plan, urban design (for key areas) and also develop control guidelines for Gasabo and Kicukiro districts.

The consultants cite the radial city concept, which ensures securing of adequate land for future growth in a planned manner, adding that it protects city density by diverting traffic from the city centre while protecting green areas by encouraging high density development along radial axes.

Currently, the city measures 731 square kilometres with a population of about 1.3 million and a household size of 4.8 million.

It is believed that the city population would more than double to 2.9 million by 2025 and probably five million in the long run. 

City officials say the master plan aims at curtailing urbanisation to 35 percent so as to preserve all natural assets and create a compact city structure.

As a means to facilitate the construction of residential apartments within the country’s towns, the government passed the condominium law that will facilitate people to buy condos from apartment blocks without necessarily having to buy the entire building.

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=15071&a=56590

One-stop-centre opens in Gasabo

Gasabo Mayor, Willy Ndizeye.

A one stop construction centre has been launched in Gasabo District to help enhance better service delivery.

During the function, the Gasabo District mayor, Willy Ndizeye, said there will be no bureaucracy in the issuance of construction permits that previously took a one over 210 days.

“Previously, there were different departments that included construction, land registration, inspection but now any one in need will get the service from one point,” Ndizeye said.

The centre will be charged with among others, land management, human settlement and infrastructure, tourism, and investment.

Ndayizeye pointed out that the centre which cost over Rwf30 million would streamline responsibilities and specialisation among staff.

He said ever since the centre began its operations, it has helped to curb allegations of graft.

“There will be no room for graft,” he pledged.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo, who is also the district’s caretaker in the central government, called on the district officials to enhance service delivery to area residents.

“You should endeavour to offer quick service to the residents who have no time to spend running after one service,” she said.

Residents, who spoke to The New Times, admitted that they had witnessed changes in the level of service delivery.  

‘I have been told to get my land transfer document in two days which was not the case before, when it would take three months,” one resident said.

The move to set up the districts one stop-stop centres came after the success of the Kigali One-Stop Centre which was established in April 2010 to facilitate Doing Business in the country. Since then, the centre has enhanced the provision of better and quick service delivery.

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=15062&a=56234

Wetlands to be demarcated

Wetlands will soon be demarcated. 

 

The ongoing exercise to demarcate wetlands countrywide will begin in the Western Province before the end of July, Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA) has said.

The Deputy Director General of Land and Mapping at RNRA, Eng. Didier Sagashya, yesterday, told The New Times that the exercise, which began in the three districts of Kigali, is currently at its final stages in the Eastern Province.

“We are remaining with only two districts in the Eastern Province and we shall immediately move on to the Western Province, where we expect a lot of work compared to what we have so far done in other areas,” said Sagashya.

The completion of the exercise is expected to confirm the clear boundaries of the wetlands, thereby paving way for people owning land near wetlands to acquire legal ownership.

“Since we shall have the identified boundaries of these wetlands, it will be easy to verify land that is owned by individuals and this will help them to acquire their land titles.”

According to the organic law enacted in 2004, all wetlands belong to the government but if proved otherwise, the public can use it strictly for agricultural purposes.

It is also expected that this exercise would correct any form of errors that may have arisen  during the 2007 demarcation exercise.

The exercise is being conducted by RNRA in collaboration with Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), which will also carry out the quality and confirmation of work carried out.

The Director of Environmental Regulation and Pollution Control at REMA, Remy Norbert Duhuze, said that the exercise would bring about significant changes.

“The 2007 demarcation exercise was only based on environment protection and conservation but did not have decisions on the boundaries of land owned by individuals from the wetlands,” he said.

He noted that the exercise would also identify inconsistencies on land previously thought of as part of wetlands and correct them appropriately.

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=15058&a=56094