Rwanda Golf Union is currently undertaking renovation works on the 18-hole Kigali Golf Club course in Nyarutarama, which includes construction of a new luxury golf country club.

In a recent interview with Times Sport, the Rwanda Golf Union secretary general Dr Davis Kashaka Karegeya revealed that they signed a swap deal with NAS Investment Company, the developers of the project, to redevelop the course to international standards—the project is expected to done by September 2016.

"It’s an exchange deal with NAS Investments in a way that we had idle plots of land which shall be given to NAS in return for the funding of the construction of a golf country club,” said Dr Kashaka.

He noted that the luxury country club as well as the international golf course will be vital to both the Golf Union and the economy because it will be attracting tourists as well as international tournaments serving all East African countries.

Without giving the financial details of the project, Kashaka added that, "Once complete, it (golf course) will have a fully automated irrigation system, which would be facilitating in hosting tournaments at any season of the year.”

According to Kashaka, who is also the vice president of the East Africa Golf Federation, the new country club will contain a 5-Room luxury hotel, Tennis courts, squash and gym house.

In a separate interview with the project designer and supervisor, Darran Johnson of South Africa-based All Africa Golf Construction company, who have been contracted by NAS Investment to construct the country club, disclosed that work is going perfectly well and on schedule to meet the September 2016 deadline.

Asked which materials will be used and where they will come from, he said, "The seeds will be imported from South Africa, the greens will be dominator bent while the grass and fairways will be of Kikuyu type,” said Johnson.

Kigali Golf Club was constructed in 1986 as an 18-hole golf club called ‘Source du Nile” by Sulfo Rwanda’s owner Tajdin H. Jaffer and Rwanda Foam proprietor Bertin Makuza and was officially opened in 1999.

The course has since been reduced to nine holes (the front nine) as development works continues on the back nine. Both the Rwanda Open and East Africa Challenge, scheduled for November, will be played on the nine-hole.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw