After 17 years, residents of Mirango I and II and Gituro zone of Kamenge neighborhood in the northern part of Bujumbura Capital are still claiming compensations after they lost their lands in 1999.
Kamenge residents coming to follow up their case at the ministry of environment
“We had fled the civil war and when we returned, we found that our lands were taken by the government and some individuals,” says Ernest Ntahobangejeje, one of the representatives of those families.
On Tuesday morning, 15 January, about 160 families that were promised to have compensations and who had already paid for urban development work activities came to follow up their case at the ministry of environment, water and urban territory.
“We long ago filed complaints to the National Commission of Lands and other property and to the Office of the Ombudsman in vain,” says Ntahobangejeje. He says the families have been referred to the Ministry in charge of urbanization, the reason why they closely follow their cases within the ministry.
Bernadette Baratakanwa, an 80’s old woman says she faced several challenges since her land had been confiscated. “We had ever had any permanent residence, we always wandered in the street. Good Samaritans sometimes support and shelter us. We really need to be compensated,” she says.
Omer Niyonkuru, Director General of spatial planning and protection of land assets and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Water and Environment says the issue of Kamenge residents is well known and will receive response shortly. “Their lands have been taken for urban development work activities. Kamenge neighborhood has been restructured after the civil war in 1999. There weren’t any roads except narrow paths,” says Niyonkuru. He says after several files in justice and government institutions, those residents have finally got plots of lands in Maramvya zone of Mutimbuzi Commune in Bujumbura Province.
“They will receive their lands’ property shortly as promised by the ministry of environment,” says Niyonkuru.
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