A total of 151 residents in two cells of Shyira Sector, Nyabihu District, say they have waited more than four years for compensation for crops destroyed during electricity extension works in their communities.
The residents said they were promised compensation when the works began for crops, including maize and beans, damaged during the project. However, some have yet to receive their payments.
Some said they opened bank accounts to receive the money but were later asked to correct the information they had provided. Others said the payment process stalled before they received any money.
Nyabihu District Mayor Antoinette Mukandayisenga acknowledged the problem, saying some residents had not been paid because of dormant bank accounts and issues with land ownership documents.
She said staff from IDCR recently visited Shyira Sector to follow up on the matter and assured residents that those without outstanding issues would begin receiving compensation in early November 2026.
“Many found that the bank accounts they had provided were dormant, while others had problems with their land documents,” she said.
Mukandayisenga said local authorities would continue helping residents resolve issues with their bank accounts and land documents so they could receive their compensation.
No figures have been released showing how many residents have already been paid or the total amount of compensation still outstanding. However, 151 residents across the two cells in Shyira Sector remain unpaid.
The residents are now waiting to see whether payments will begin as promised, after more than four years of waiting.
