Paper short abstract:

African cities have embraced rapid physical transformation as the default urban development paradigm. Using Kigali as a case study, this study investigates the extent to which land expropriation perpetuates marginalization and social injustice.

Paper long abstract:

In a bid to become global cities and centers of innovation, many African cities have embraced rapid physical transformation as the default urban development paradigm. However, this development mantra is happening at a huge social cost. Underlying the physical transformation is land expropriation, which gives governments the power to accumulate lands in the name of public interest. There is a lacuna on how expropriation affects the livelihood and assets of the urban poor, particularly in the African context. Using Kigali as a case study and drawing on livelihood asset framework and snowballing sampling technique, this study investigates the extent to which land expropriation perpetuates marginalization and social injustice. Preliminary results show that expropriation dispossesses people of their main productive livelihood assets: physical, financial and social assets, which puts them in a state of impoverishment and marginalization. Expropriation, the study revealed, has significant socio-economic impacts, and addressing these would require integrated and multifaced measures, including providing just compensation, alternative livelihood options, promoting participatory planning, and facilitating capital acquisition for small-scale business ventures.