Republic of RwandaRwanda Housing Authority
RURAL SETTLEMENT DIVISION
Background and Progress Made So Far
• The Human Settlement Policy was adopted in 1996, amended in 2004, 2006 and 2009, Law Governing Human Habitation in Rwanda was adopted on 21st June 2011.
• As formulated in Vision 2020 document, it is envisaged that by the year 2020, 70% of the rural population will be living in planned villages/imidugudu. Every year we relocate Households from Scattered and High Risk Zones areas.
• Up to 2008, only 22% of the population was living in Imidugudu. The Government established a Rural Settlement Task Force (RSTF) in December 2008 to accelerate planned human settlement in Imidugudu.
• In 2014 during the restructuring, the Rural Settlement Task Force (RSTF) from MINALOC joined RHA and started working together as a Rural Settlement Division under the Human Settlement Department.
Specific Objectives of rural settlement division
• To perform extensive sensitization to the population on Imidugudu settlement.
• To support districts to acquire low cost and sustainable construction materials for imidugudu sites.
• To support districts to develop and implement layout plans for the selected Imidugudu sites
• To provide technical and financial support (GIS equipment and software, trainings, financing through earmarking and mobilization with partners,) to Districts to manage properly the rural settlement processes.
• To develop and support the IDP Model Villages in all districts.
Mobilization and Mindset Change
Public Awareness Campaign (Meetings)
Publicity and Advertisement (Radio and TV spots, Drama, Brochures)
Media and Press Campaign
Introduction of IDP Model Villages
• The Government Akagera retreat in February 2007 agreed to adopt a comprehensive strategy - now the Integrated Development Programme (IDP) - to fast track broad based income generation and economic expansion towards achieving the EDPRS targets. It is in this framework that in 2010 to 2011, 5 IDP Model Projects were established in all Provinces and Kigali City. During the Celebration of Liberation day, on 4th July 2016 Rweru IDP Model village was inaugurated and all districts were requested to scale up IDP Model villages of Rweru type. Construction activities have already started and by end June 2017; every district will have at least 1 fully developed IDP model village.
All IDP Model villages should have the following 11 pillars:
1. Land Productivity – to increase agricultural and livestock productivity;
2. Post Harvest Processing and Marketing - to assure food security and promote trade of agriculture products in internal and export sales ;
3. Cooperative Development - to increase economic value and reinforce unity through joined capital and promotion of savings ;
4. Off-Farm Employment - to diversify and modernise Rwandan economy through creation and enhancement of sustainable off-farm employment;
5. Promotion of Micro-finance and Insurance - to increase inputs for economic expansion and protect entrepreneurs against business risks ;
6. Resettlement - to voluntarily settle citizens for efficient service delivery and land consolidation ;
7. Rehabilitating ecosystem – to ensure optimal utilisation and sustainable management of natural resource base ;
8. Social Protection - to provide effective and sustainable social protection and release productive capacities of the most poor and vulnerable
9. Infrastructure development: to improve access to affordable electricity and transport infrastructure as support to economic transformation and access to other forms of energy (peat, biogas, solar) for improved welfare and environmental protection;
10. Promotion of ICT - to improve access to market information and technology innovations for production;
11. Leadership Development - to build a large cohort of community leaders who will catalyse social cohesion and an economic revolution
Elaboration of Imidugudu layout plans
Rwanda Housing Authority has started the elaboration of layout plans for all rural settlement imidugudu sites that are suitable for human settlement. Data collection and processing were done in 12 districts including Karongi, Musanze, Rubavu, Nyagatare, Bugesera, Gisagara, Nyamasheke, Rusizi, Muhanga, Gicumbi, Nyaruguru and Gakenke districts and the validation of the Imidugugu sites to the local government and local community is in the process.