Household development benefits associated with land expropriation in Kibeho and Munini Sectors.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Land expropriation rationalized through a development discourse keeps citizens from realizing that expropriation can as well abrogate private ownership of land. The law guiding expropriation proposes that expropriation be carried out against just compensation to indemnify costs incurred by affected citizens; but just compensation has minimal enforceability on the ground. The research has shown that compensation is not always on the same footing as the market prices. This study aimed to understand the household development benefits of land expropriation for commercial agriculture. Based on the review of literature on process of expropriation, how citizens appreciate such process and on effect of expropriation on socioeconomic development of citizens, document analysis, focus group discussion, interview and a survey were used to collect data. Respondents were purposively selected. Analysis of the responses demonstrated an interconnection among processes of expropriation and associated those processes to socioeconomic development of expropriated citizens. The results indicate that the benefits of expropriation outweigh damages incurred by the expropriated citizens. The results indicate as well that when citizens participate in expropriation process, it reduces conflicts related to valuation and compensation. The results show that improper valuation and compensation hinder socioeconomic development of the expropriated citizens. On this basis, it is recommended that expropriating agencies engage actively citizens subject to the expropriation and carry expropriation on agreed upon valuation methods in order to avoid grievances which result from unjust compensation.