Kigali City may cease to have potholes when 33 kilometers of dilapidated roads are rehabilitated. The potholed Kanombe and Nyamirambo roads are top on the agenda when Rwf 13.2 billion is sourced to partly fund the road rehabilitation project in the city.

According to Bruno Rangira, KCC Director of Media and Communication, government has allocated Rwf 1.5 billion for road rehabilitation, drainage, pavements and street lighting in Kigali City.

A high level team from Rwanda is reportedly in China to negotiate the funding. When secured, most Kigali City roads including those in residential, commercial and industrial areas will also be rehabilitated.

Instead of just filling potholes, the city authorities plan to remove the old tarmac and replace it with new one. Currently, city authorities are constructing a 6.5 km stone-paved road in Kimironko, a city suburb and another 9 km in Nyarutarama. Under the programme, residents are to contribute 5 percent of the construction costs.

"This is the first initiative where residents have to contribute. We would like to encourage all residents to be part of their development,”Rangira said.

Accomplished projects
 
In its policy of changing the look of Kigali through modern road networks, the Giporoso-Kabeza road worth Rwf 1.4b was completed.

Gisozi-Fawe Girls schools road has also been tarmacked at a cost of Rwf 2.9 b.

The 2.2 Kigali Parents -Kimironko road has been worked on at Rwf 500 m. The pavements around Kigali worth Rwf 1.3b are in use.

"Construction of roads is too expensive, one Kilometer of tarmac road costs Rwf 400 m and Rwf 250 m for a stone-paved road,” he said.

Rangira continued that the target is to have modern roads with well paved sidewalks.

In collaboration with Projet des Infrastructure et Gestion Urbain (PIGU) a slum upgrading project, the 2.4km Biryogo and Cyahafi roads were rehabilitated and street lights installed.

Future plans

With the new Kigali Master Plan which provides planning guidelines for the city in the next 50 years, Kigali City intends to construct central sewage plants where people will have to subscribe for maintenance.

In the mini budget presented on Oct 23, Infrastructure development was allocated about Rwf 89.1 b. Priorities include rehabilitation of roads around Kigali and other roads from Kigali like Musanze- Rubavu and Ngororero –Mukamira roads, and construction of feeder roads in rural areas.

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