Rwanda land tenure Regularisation

The registration of land rights is one of the key challenges facing policymakers today. Secure, legally enforceable, and marketable land rights allow cities to become a platform of productivity by ensuring that owners have the security to invest and transact land. They also allow governments to plan and tax land for the public good.

Theirry Ngoga Hoza - who was closely involved in Rwanda’s land tenure regularisation programme - has developed a case study on the land tenure regularisation programme in Rwanda. The programme details how Rwanda managed to formally register almost all of the countries land in under 5 years at a cost of only $6/parcel.

This case study explores the process of reform in Rwanda, identifying the key enabling factors for success that other cities can learn from and adapt to local circumstances. It outlines:

• Why the programme of registration in Rwanda was introduced
• The steps/process of reform undertaken
• The expected and experienced challenges in the programme rollout
• Key success factors of the programme
• Ongoing reforms and opportunities for land rights in Rwanda

The key success factors for land reform were identified to be strong political will, the use of technology to aid quick and cost-effective land surveying techniques, active community involvement and communication, and the use of a pilot project to test and refine the full programme.