Remarks by Vincent Biruta, Minister of Environment

Land Tenure Regularisation Programme - Closure Workshop

Kigali Convention Centre | 1 March 2019

Good morning!

I am honoured to join you for today’s official close of Rwanda’s Land Tenure Regularisation Programme. This workshop is an opportunity to reflect on the programme’s successes and challenges and, most importantly, recognise its impact on the lives of Rwandans. We are also here to thank those who have worked incredibly hard for more than a decade to implement the programme.

Before the programme was established, Rwanda faced significant challenges related to land management. The lack of proper demarcation and land titles was not only affecting our development, but was causing conflict within our communities. Indeed, a large percentage of cases appearing before our Abunzi community justice courts related to land issues - especially boundary and inheritance concerns.

The Land Tenure Regularisation Programme put in place a robust framework to address these issues through demarcation and issuing titles, and did so in a way that was citizen-centred and participatory. This inclusive process ensured landowners understood and trusted the system, and laid a strong foundation for programme’s long-term success.

Since the programme was established in 2009, it has registered a number of major achievement - some of which I would like to mention today.

In total, 11.4 millions parcels of land were demarcated, and 7.2 million land lease titles have been issued to rightful owners. The programme established the Land Administration Information System to professionalise and digitise land management, and are now piloting the use of blockchain technology to improve the security of land transactions, service delivery and reduce processing times and costs.

The construction of four zonal land offices, including a modern mirroring centre in Rwamagana, along with the decentralisation of land management, also brought services closer to citizens.

The recruitment of more than 400 sector land managers, who also serve as land notaries, has also improved service delivery. This decentralisation process equipped land offices at the district and sector levels with the skills and tools needed to serve citizens and the capacity to keep pace with the rapid reforms that were underway.

This long list of achievements, which is by no means exhaustive, would not have been possible without the commitment and contributions from our development partners including the UK's Department for International Development, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the European Union and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. Your support has enabled Rwanda to improve land utilisation in an efficient and rational manner whilst also ensuring the rights of property owners.

While it is easy to list facts and figures about the achievements of the programme, its real success lies in the impact it has had on the lives of citizens.

Without a doubt, the programme led to a transformation of the land sector, and natural resources management in general. It secured and strengthened the rights of property owners, enshrined gender equality in a range of new and existing laws and strengthened the rights of women by ensuring that both husband and wife are registered with equal shares of their property.

Securing property rights has also increased the productivity of small landholder farmers and promoted investment - both of which are critical for achieving the development goals we have set for ourselves.

The programme has also reduced land related conflicts because of the clarity the new system provided to landowners, and has increased awareness through different campaigns including Land Week.

Last but not least, the most recent World Bank Doing Business report ranked Rwanda second in the world in the category of property registration. We should be proud of this achievement and the land sector’s contribution to Rwanda’s overall ranking, which now stands at 29th in the world.

As we close the Land Tenure Regularisation Programme, I would like to remind my colleagues in government and our valued development partners that this is not the end of our engagement in land sector, but rather the continuation of the good work we are celebrating today.

We must now improve the financial sustainability of land offices and the maintenance of the land registry. We also need to raise compliance with land use master plans, reduce the costs of land transactions and eliminate informal transactions. Our technical staff at the local levels of land administration must have the skills and tools they need to do their jobs efficiently and effectively.

With this in mind, I would like to encourage everyone who has a stake in land management to continue your engagement and support for existing and new programmes that will improve the sustainability of the land sector and improve service delivery.

I wish to also recognise the remarkable work done by the dedicated individuals responsible for land use and management in various government institutions. Your collaborative efforts with partners, civil society, the private sector and indeed citizens themselves, have been at the heart of the the Land Tenure Regularisation Programme’s success.

Let me conclude by thanking you, the participants of this workshop, for being with us today, and I wish you fruitful deliberations.

Thank you for your kind attention.