Friday, July 5, 2013

NGO adds spark to address land disputes

photo
Ludovic Sibomana, a farmer in Kinyababa Sector, in his garden. RISD is seeking to curb land disputes. The New Times/ Timothy Kisambira.
The recently concluded land registration process was a great feat for the Rwandan people as they now have documents to prove the wealth they posses.

However, based on recent studies, there is a lot more that still needs to be done to address the disturbing number of land-related conflicts that have not only broken up families, but also led to violent crimes.

According to a report by a local NGO, the Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development, at least 85 per cent of the land disputes in the country involve land already registered under the Land Tenure Regularisation Programme (LTRP).

The study showed that the disputes are fuelled by land titles as residents become more aware of the market value of land.

“Nearly half (49 per cent) of these disputes are over land parcels that are one hectare or less. Less than 16 per cent of land under disputes was obtained through sale. Most disputed land is not obtained on the market because land remains deeply entrenched in other domains of life, namely the family,” the report said. Read More.....