The City of Kigali has identified certain high-risk areas where residents need to be promptly evacuated before the rainy season begins.

The identified areas in Gasabo District include Gisozi around Dove Hotel, Gatsata in an area called "Mu Kiderenka”, and Nyabisindu in an area called "Mu Isibo ya Cyenda” of Remera sector.

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The areas also include Mpano village in Kivugiza and Gasharu cells of Nyamirambo sector, Nyamweru cell in Kinyinya sector and Kagasa in Gahanga sector in Kicukiro District, as well as different drainages that can endanger people’s lives.

Those who are required to move include individuals residing on a slope of 50 per cent, as well as those living on slopes between 30 and 50 per cent. These areas have houses that do not meet the necessary standards and guidelines to withstand disasters, making it essential for residents to relocate.

Pudence Rubingisa, Mayor of the City of Kigali, said 7,361 families were identified in high risk zones.

"So far, 4,230 families were relocated during the previous rainy season and we have to urgently evict 3,131 families ahead of the forth-coming rainy season,” he said.

He said 2,400 families out of those remaining in dangerous high-risk zones are renting.

"We want to visit these families door-to-door in collaboration with grassroots leaders so that they go to rent houses in safe zones,” he said.

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The houses in the identified zones, Rubingisa said, have to be immediately removed after relocation.

"Gatsata sector tops areas with many families in high risk zones living at a 50 per cent slope. The sectors of Kanyinya, Kimisagara, Kigali and others have also a big number of high risk zones requiring urgent eviction,” he said.

The mad rush to relocate people from high-risk zones follows the recent devastating floods and landslides that left 20,000 people homeless in Western, Northern and Southern provinces.

City of Kigali’s recent assessment found 24,404 plots with about 27,000 houses in high-risk zones despite living in residential areas in 35 sectors of the capital.

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"The city has many dwelling units in the informal settlements and we are implementing different projects to upgrade settlements so that they become resilient to disasters,” he said.

Over 61 per cent of the country’s population currently live in informal settlements.

Kigali’s major unplanned settlements will soon be upgraded at the cost of $70 million (approx. Rwf76 billion) according to city officials.

The unplanned settlements in Nyarugenge, Kicukiro and Gasabo districts will get basic infrastructure such as roads, pedestrian ways, drainages, street lights, electricity, health centres, markets, schools, water and others that are needed to facilitate people’s daily businesses.

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The four unplanned settlements selected in the City of Kigali are Mpazi in Nyarugenge District, Gatenga in Kicukiro District, and Nyagatovu and Nyabisindu both located in Gasabo District.