{"id":113219,"date":"2025-10-17T13:50:53","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T13:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/why-land-power-of-attorney-transactions-was-suspended"},"modified":"2025-10-17T14:01:47","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T14:01:47","slug":"why-land-power-of-attorney-transactions-was-suspended","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/why-land-power-of-attorney-transactions-was-suspended","title":{"rendered":"Why land power of attorney transactions was suspended"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>The National Land Authority (NLA) has temporarily suspended the use of powers of attorney in land transfers, raising questions about the implications for legitimate property owners.<\/p>\n

According to the NLA, existing powers of attorney will not be automatically revoked but will now undergo stricter verification before use in any land transaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe power of attorney remains valid, but notaries are now required to perform additional verification,\u201d said Marie-Gra\u0302ce Nishimwe, the NLA Director General and Chief Registrar of Land Titles. \u201cThis includes confirming the landowner\u2019s consent through email, video call, or proof that they were in the country when the document was issued.\u201d<\/p>\n

If verification confirms authenticity, the transaction may proceed. However, if doubts arise, the landowner could be asked to issue a new power of attorney through Rwandan embassies abroad or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINAFFET).<\/p>\n

Nishimwe said landowners can contact NLA zonal offices for guidance on individual cases, emphasising that the goal is to protect genuine owners without halting legitimate transactions.<\/p>\n

The suspension, which took effect on October 16, follows a surge in fraudulent land transfers involving falsified powers of attorney.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have seen cases where land appeared to have been sold through forged documents,\u201d Nishimwe said. \u201cTo safeguard land rights and promote tenure security, we decided to suspend their use temporarily.\u201d<\/p>\n

The directive applies only to powers of attorney issued within Rwanda. Those prepared abroad remain valid if they comply with Rwandan legal standards.<\/p>\n

Officials said the suspension will remain in place until the Ministry of Justice launches a new electronic notary system early next year. The platform will allow notarial services to be conducted digitally using secure electronic signatures and seals to enhance document integrity and traceability.<\/p>\n

Nishimwe added that with decentralised land services and a growing network of licensed private notaries, citizens no longer need intermediaries to handle property transfers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith notarial services available countrywide, citizens can process transactions in person,\u201d she said. \u201cThis will improve transparency and protect landowners from fraud.\u201d<\/p>\n

Exceptions will be made for people unable to appear in person, such as prisoners or those under exceptional circumstances.<\/p>\n

\u201cInmates will continue to use the existing process, where authorities issue an accompanying letter alongside the power of attorney,\u201d Nishimwe explained. \u201cThis ensures legitimate transactions within correctional facilities remain verified.\u201d<\/p>\n

Local notaries across the country have welcomed the decision, describing it as timely and necessary to curb rising fraud.<\/p>\n

Marie Josee Icyitegetse, a notary in Karongi District, said some colleagues have encountered forged documents.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn our professional platforms, notaries have reported cases where people presented fake powers of attorney claiming to represent landowners,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In Rubavu District, notary Eric Akimana said most fraudulent attempts are detected early.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome bring IDs that don\u2019t match the land title or power of attorney details,\u201d he said. \u201cVerification through the system often reveals they aren\u2019t the real owners.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the Rwanda Land Dashboard, the country has more than 11.9 million registered land parcels. Of these, over 33,000 are under dispute, 56,000 are caveated, and 159,000 are mortgaged.<\/p>\n

While the temporary suspension may delay some property transfers, the NLA insists it is a necessary safeguard.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis measure is about protecting genuine landowners and restoring public trust in property transactions,\u201d Nishimwe said. \u201cOnce the e-notary system is operational, land transfers will become faster, safer, and fully traceable.\u201d<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Rwanda<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. The National Land Authority (NLA) has temporarily suspended the use of powers of attorney in land transfers, raising questions about the implications for legitimate property owners. According to the NLA, existing powers of attorney will not be automatically revoked but will now undergo stricter verification before use in any land transaction. \u201cThe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":113218,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,14],"tags":[4793,8423,1766,4805,758],"class_list":["post-113219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-land-titles","tag-land-transfers","tag-ministry-of-justice","tag-national-land-authority","tag-rwanda"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy land power of attorney transactions was suspended - Rwanda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The National Land Authority (NLA) has temporarily suspended the use of powers of attorney in land transfers, raising que ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/why-land-power-of-attorney-transactions-was-suspended\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why land power of attorney transactions was suspended\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The National Land Authority (NLA) has temporarily suspended the use of powers of attorney in land transfers, raising que ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/why-land-power-of-attorney-transactions-was-suspended\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rwanda\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-17T13:50:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-17T14:01:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2025\/10\/sm_1760697078.52478.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"666\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/why-land-power-of-attorney-transactions-was-suspended#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/why-land-power-of-attorney-transactions-was-suspended\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Why land power of attorney transactions was suspended\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-17T13:50:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-17T14:01:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/why-land-power-of-attorney-transactions-was-suspended\"},\"wordCount\":568,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/why-land-power-of-attorney-transactions-was-suspended#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2025\/10\/sm_1760697078.52478.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Land titles\",\"Land transfers\",\"Ministry of Justice\",\"National Land Authority\",\"Rwanda\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/why-land-power-of-attorney-transactions-was-suspended#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/why-land-power-of-attorney-transactions-was-suspended\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/why-land-power-of-attorney-transactions-was-suspended\",\"name\":\"Why land power of attorney transactions was suspended - 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