People looking to buy land in Bugesera District in anticipation of major development projects have been urged to verify where the projects will be located and the intended use of the plots they plan to purchase.
The warning comes amid rising land prices, with some residents claiming that property brokers are driving up costs by reselling plots at significantly higher prices than those set by the owners.
In Mayange Sector, Jean De Dieu Munyaneza has had his 22-by-21-metre plot on the market for three weeks, asking for RWF 4 million. He says brokers could sell it for twice that amount.
“I am asking for RWF 4 million, but a broker could sell it for RWF 8 million, even though I put it on the market for RWF 4 million. That is how plots end up becoming so expensive,” he said.
James Bumvaneza, another Bugesera resident, said land prices in the district have increased considerably over the years, making it increasingly difficult for people to afford plots.
“I have known Bugesera for a long time, when a plot cost RWF 100,000. Today, a plot near the road costs between RWF 18 million and RWF 20 million, while those further away go for RWF 5 million to RWF 8 million,” he said.
Egide Muhozi, who brokers land transactions between buyers and sellers, said many people are purchasing plots not to develop them but to resell them at higher prices.
“Many of those buying plots are actually buying them for resale. Someone buys a plot for RWF 8 million, then brings another buyer the following day and sells it for RWF 10 million, making a profit of RWF 2 million. The person who buys it for RWF 10 million then brings another buyer and sells it for RWF 12 million. That is how things are happening,” he explained.
Among the major projects attracting investors to Bugesera is the new Kigali International Airport under construction in Rilima Sector. A proposed Formula 1 (F1) project has also featured in land advertisements, with some brokers claiming that plots on sale are close to the planned development.
Eastern Province Governor Pudence Rubingisa said some land advertisements contain misleading information about the locations of major projects, potentially leading buyers to make decisions based on false claims.
He cited advertisements claiming that plots are near the proposed F1 project or Lake Rweru, even though their actual locations do not correspond with those claims when checked against the national map.
“When someone advertises land by saying, ‘Come and buy here because a major F1 project will be developed nearby,’ or claims that it is close to Lake Rweru, you can check the national map to see where Bugesera is, where the F1 project is expected to be located and where Lake Rweru is. You will find that these locations have nothing to do with one another. That is misleading advertising, which I believe could even constitute an offence,” he said.
Marie Grace Nishimwe, Director General of the National Land Authority, also urged prospective buyers in Bugesera not to rely solely on information provided by brokers, but to verify it with the relevant authorities.
She said a land-use master plan for Bugesera District has already been prepared, but the plan covering areas surrounding Kigali International Airport is still being developed.
“We are currently preparing the land-use master plan for the areas surrounding the airport. Even a broker cannot know what that plan will look like before it is completed. Once it is ready, we will incorporate it into Bugesera District’s master plan so that every Rwandan can check what each plot is designated for,” she said.
Prospective buyers should therefore be wary of claims that particular plots will be allocated for specific developments before the relevant master plan is officially released.
Figures from Eastern Province show that it receives about 5,400 land-related applications every week, with Bugesera accounting for nearly 50 per cent of the total across the province’s seven districts.
Authorities are advising buyers to verify land ownership documents, establish the designated use of plots and confirm their exact locations using information from district and sector offices and the National Land Authority.
They can also access land services through the *651# mobile phone code before making any payment.
