KIGALI - Teams of technical experts from OZ Architect and SCE Surbana, US and Singaporean companies respectively, are set to enhance Kigali City’s Master Plan.

Bruno Rangira, Kigali City Council’s Director of Media and Communication, told The New Times yesterday that six Singaporeans and five American experts arrived in the country nine days ago to assist local experts in tying up the Kigali Master Plan.

Accordingly, the present master plan is a ‘conceptual plan’ focusing on broad guidelines for land use, environmental protection while embracing what is referred to as the three E’s – Ecology, Equity and Economy – and ensuring security for residents by setting development standards.

"They are here to work with the Kigali City urban planning technical team in making detailed physical plans for different zones of the city,” Rangira said.

"What we have [presently] is a conceptual master plan that lacks very important details for appropriate urban planning,” he stressed.

Rangira explained that the foreign experts will help draft detailed physical plans that will clearly outline the use of land, assign development standards and outline the infrastructure, physical and social amenities to be provided in the different areas.

The master plan provides planning guidelines for the city for the next 50 years, and work on the details one is scheduled to begin this month.

The need for the master plan derives from the realisation by the city council that most problems faced by the city are caused by unplanned management.

Presently, nearly all (70%) of Kigali City is unplanned.
In 2006 alone, 33 people died because of poor drainage and to date, transport-related problems persist.

There are also problems that arise from poor sanitation, and the master plan, it is hoped, will help find solutions for all these.

Government has been involved in various other projects geared at proper standards in as far as urban planning, among others, is concerned.

Just last week, the Ministry of Infrastructure revealed that it has liaised with the British Standards Institution (BSI) to help in developing proper construction standards and codes to guide the construction practice in the country.

BSI is reported to have sent three consultants to work hand-in-hand with the Ministry in developing and instituting codes and standards to guide construction.

While announcing the venture, Linda Bihire, the minister of Infrastructure, emphasized that developing codes and standards is a necessity if the construction industry is to develop and reach local and international markets.

"We have already documented the codes and standards to guide the construction practice, courtesy of BSI. In this, we are very committed to ensuring people’s safety and professionalising the construction industry,” she said.

"It’s quite clear that there are no clear-cut building regulations and standards, and there are big gaps in the professional capacity of engineers, quantity surveyors and craftsmen to do the work,” said Tariq Nawaz, the BSI group’s leader pointed out.

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