The Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management, together with district authorities, has started handing over 3,000 newly constructed houses to families affected by the 2023 disasters across seven districts under the final phase of the housing reconstruction programme.
The handover is taking place in Ngororero, Muhanga, Rutsiro, Nyabihu, Karongi, Burera and Rubavu districts.
MINEMA said 5,096 houses had been rehabilitated or reconstructed for families whose homes were destroyed or damaged by disasters.
The latest handover comes more than three years after heavy rains caused floods and landslides across the Western, Northern and Southern provinces on the night of May 2 to 3, 2023.
The disasters claimed 135 lives and affected 6,206 houses. Of these, 3,006 were completely destroyed, while 3,200 sustained damage.
Roads, bridges, schools, health facilities and other public infrastructure were also damaged, leaving thousands of families displaced.
The government constructed 904 houses during the initial emergency response before expanding the programme to provide permanent homes for families that remained in temporary accommodation or unsafe areas.
The final phase is being implemented through the Contingent Emergency Response Component project in partnership with the World Bank.
World Bank project documents show that €20.65 million was allocated to the component. The financing included €17 million for construction and €3.65 million for acquiring land for resettlement.
The component financed 3,492 newly constructed houses in the seven districts.
MINEMA’s wider figure of 5,096 includes homes that were either reconstructed or rehabilitated during the recovery programme.
The new houses have toilets, bathrooms, septic tanks, rainwater-harvesting tanks and internal electrical wiring. Communal water points were also provided at the resettlement sites.
Rubavu received one of the largest allocations, with 870 houses constructed at the Ruranga and Kasonga sites in Rugerero Sector.
The houses are intended for families displaced by the 2023 disasters and households relocated from high-risk areas along the Sebeya River, including those that had been staying in rented accommodation funded by the government.
In March 2025, Uwimana Dancille, a Rugerero resident who lost her home during the disaster, told MINEMA that the new housing had improved her family’s living conditions.
“Our old houses were not strong enough to withstand the floods and heavy rains. President Paul Kagame pledged government support to restore our lives to normalcy, and he delivered quickly. My new home is one of the best in this area,” she said.
During a later inspection of the Rubavu construction sites, Emergency Management Minister Maj Gen (Rtd) Albert Murasira said completing safe housing for affected families remained a government priority.
“Providing safe and resilient housing for disaster affected families remains a priority,” Murasira said.
The distribution of the 3,000 houses forms the final phase of the reconstruction programme across the seven districts.
Elie GATETE
RADIOTV10