This report aims at addressing concerns regarding the implementation of Rwanda’s Expropriation Law and at evaluating its outcomes on the population, specifically on expropriated households. It is part of the wider USAID Rwanda LAND Project. In this report, the Legal Aid Forum (LAF), with financial support from USAID, focuses on the following research questions: What is the status of processes and procedures for the implementation of the Expropriation Law? What are the key challenges and impacts from the implementation of this law? To answer these questions, a desk review of relevant laws, policies, documents, and records was conducted. Further, qualitative data collected though Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and quantitative data was gathered through Structured Interviews/Household Surveys.

The data obtained through this study revealed that insufficient and delayed compensation were the most important issues to property owners, government stakeholders and expropriating institutions. This suggests the possibility for collaborative efforts to decrease delays and improve the integrity of the valuation process. Further, while measuring the price paid per square meter of expropriated land, unexpected variations emerged, based on the expropriating entity paying the compensation. These were found to be arbitrary differences in land values..........