The City of Kigali has promised to resume the construction of 45.1 kilometres of roads this month, targeting completion by the end of the 2023/24 fiscal year.

The construction of some roads, such as Mulindi-Gasogi-Rusororo-Kabuga road and Miduha-Mageragere, was halted two months ago. The City of Kigali Mayor, Samuel Dusengiyumva, attributed this to technical problems.

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The roads are part of the Kigali Infrastructure Project (KIP) to build a 215-kilometre road network and several bridges by 2024.

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Although there is good progress on some roads, there is slow progress on others.

"There are roads with an execution rate below 80 per cent including Miduha-Mageragere road which is at 77 per cent, Mulindi-Gasogi-Rusororo-Kabuga Centre road at 52 per cent, and Busanza-Muyange at 78 per cent. Most issues that caused delays are being fixed.

"The main challenge we have faced in general is related to weather (rainfall season) which has affected the construction works. Our citizens can be assured that works shall resume soon and most of these projects shall be completed by the end of this 2023/2024 fiscal year.”

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For this phase, he said, 45.1 kilometres are expected to be constructed on 12 road sections.

The city mayor said, generally, roads under the KIP framework have made fairly good progress and the execution rate for some of the roads stands above 90 per cent.

These (at 90 per cent] include Kagugu-Vision City- Utexrwa; Migina to Controle Technique, Sonatube- Sahara and Kigali International Airport perimeter road.

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"We also have roads with an execution rate of around 80 per cent namely; Remera-Baho Hospital-RDB, Rugenge-Muhima Hospital-Nyabugogo roads among others,” he said.

Another planned road in this phase is the Zindiro-Masizi-Birembo-Kami-Gasanze road, which stretches 10.4 kilometres.

However, city officials said ongoing expropriation has been a major obstacle to advancing the construction of the road situated in Bumbogo, Kinyinya, and Nduba sectors.

The city has assessed properties belonging to more than 700 individuals to be expropriated.

Officials emphasise that the timing of expropriation largely hinges on residents’ cooperation and their willingness to provide the necessary documents for expropriation and compensation.

"The completion of this road holds strategic significance, as it will facilitate the movement of vehicles from the industrial zone in Masoro to Gicumbi District and further to Gatuna, which serves as the Rwanda-Uganda border,” Ezechiel Munyarugendo, a resident of the Bumbogo sector said.

He also highlighted the road’s potential to ease travel for passengers heading to Nyagatare District.

"The road will enable vehicles from the Special Economic Zone to travel seamlessly from Gasanze, Gicumbi, and Rukomo to Nyagatare. This project promises economic returns by enhancing trade at both the national and regional levels,” he added.

In addition to the Zindiro-Masizi-Birembo-Gasanze road, the City of Kigali plans to construct 300 kilometres of feeder roads within the capital, aiming to address the public transport challenges faced by residents in various suburban areas of Kigali.

Meanwhile, the Giporoso-Kabuga highway will be expanded under the project by the Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA), officials said.