March 29, 2024

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Gasabo Land Use Master Plan: Residents want the modification on “Cemetery” Zone

The area on Google Maps/ Topafricanews

It is in Gasabo District, Agatare Village, Kinyinya Sector in Gasharu Cell.

Hundreds of citizens claim their land rights which, they say, Kigali City Master Planners, have marked their plots in a special Zone reserved for cemeteries.

Very beyond belief! According to citizens, is it really that the City of Kigali will build a cemetery in the central part of the city which is developing faster  from day to day?

On the citizens: Are they misunderstood the implementation of Kigali City Master Plan and Land Use?

For the experts in Urban Settlements, it’s impossible to have a public cemetery in the not far from the city center area in accordance with the current City master Plan.

So, if this statement is correct, “Why don’t they give us permission to build the legal houses vis à vis the Master Plan?

When you come to the district office, they tell you that you do not have the right to build an infrastructure in this area, because “they explain” it’s a special zone for cemeteries” asserts Nsengiyumva Jean de Dieu who has at least one hectare of land in this area.

As consequences, these citizens of the city add that “This problem has been here for a long time! Many of us have claimed our rights to our lands. I remember one day when Rwanda Television arrived here, we explained our problem. But until today we are having adverse consequences on our social economic living conditions,” one of the witnesses told Topafricanews.com on condition of anonymity.

But For Nsengiyumva, this exact inexplicableness of what the area is set aside for: “Affected me a lot. I completed my university studies in 2014. I would like to sell a portion of my land to have a capital that could be used in the creation of my own business, but no one can buy this portion! ”

“When they arrive we show them and when they put the UPI (Unified Parcel Identification) number in the online system, they find that this is a Special Zone where house building is prohibited.”

“UPI” stands for uniform parcel identifier. A “UPI” is a finite, punctuated sequence of numbers indicating the land parcel or other interest in real estate.

“What  can we do then? The city should come out and tell us what is really going on in this area! “He said.

“Consider our request once the Master Plan is modified”

On the other side, these citizens pay land taxes every year as explains Sibomana Emmanuel “In this cell of Gasharu, Village of Agatare we are subdivided in two parts”

“There is the area where infrastructures construction is allowed and the other part identified as the Special Zone. We do not really know what will be done on this land but we pay property taxes every year. “Sibomana said.

“If I took my example, for the past five years I have paid more than three million Rwandan francs for property taxes.”

“We have heard on the radio that this year the City Master plan is going to be modified. We ask that during the Master Plan modifications, really help us and make this area a Residence space. ”

The District of Gasabo affirms that this space is not for cemeteries.

“It is not possible that we can have a public cemetery in Kinyinya!” Said Vice Mayor of Gasabo responsible for Socio-Economic Development Mberabahizi Raymond, this evening of 9th July 2018 on the microphones of BTN TV which also asked him what the District plans for this area.

“Their land certificates were distributed before the Master Plan. This is where you find a citizen who has a certificate that shows that it is a residence space.”

“During the land registration, the record-keepers found that in this area there was a cemetery, but that does not mean that a citizen does not have the right to rehabilitate his houses when it is necessary.

“Even if you check into the Master Plan for the Gasabo District, Kinyinya is not an area for cemeteries. The inhabitants should not panic because there is no cemetery in this area ” explains Mberabahizi.

Topafricanews.com has independently visited the area.

Dispersed Housing next to this area, children of low ages are found playing everywhere, some houses are in a critical conditions and some even have fallen down due to lack of rehabilitation permit, an archaic community market near the area, but the active and contented people as you can see in their faces.

According to information reaching this website, the citizens are not satisfied with the explanations given by Mberabahizi speaking to BTN TV.

“It’s not the first time for such explanations. Mberabahizi himself had known this problem for a long time. He was the Executive Secretary of Kinyinya Sector. We have told him our worries for a long time. Really the explanations are not satisfactory.” One of these citizens told this website.

Last Month the District was supposed to meet these residents to discuss on various issues, including the said to be a cemetery area however the meeting didn’t take place.

 

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