EDITORIAL: Sensitisation drive on city master plan long overdue

The City of Kigali on Thursday admitted that there was still an information gap regarding the city master plan, which was impeding the implementation of the blueprint meant to guide development activities.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

The City of Kigali on Thursday admitted that there was still an information gap regarding the city master plan, which was impeding the implementation of the blueprint meant to guide development activities.

The anomaly has often-times left City Hall on the defensive due to different decisions it has taken as part of the implementation of the master plan. Because of lack of information on the part of the population, some of the decisions have been taken in bad faith.

This information gap has also given city residents little time to plan accordingly, a case in point being the recent gazetting of a section of a street in the Central Business District as car-free.

Another problem arising from the lack of information on the master plan is the loss developers have suffered because they bought land with no prior knowledge of what it was designated for in line with the master plan.

It is, therefore, a welcome development that the city has resolved to take sensitisation to the village level to ensure no one falls victim of the information gap.

It is equally commendable that the master plan has been made accessible for everyone with internet access. All that remains is ensuring that everyone is on board to ensure that all their plans are within the provisions of the master plan.

It is in everyone’s interests that we have an organised city as it continues to grow.