To be sold Rwf 101,000 per square metre

Kigali City Council yesterday officially launched the process of selling plots in part of the Central Business District (CBD) that was unveiled recently as part of the Kigali Master Plan.

The parcel of about 10 hectares that is located in Ubumwe Cell in Nyarugenge District (former Lower Kiyovu), was first bought by the Social Security Fund of Rwanda (CSR) a couple of years back with the aim of readying it for sale to different developers.

Yesterday’s exercise was to open up the plots to willing developers and CSR have prepared packages that contain instructions to be followed by investors who need to buy plots and put up buildings.

"They (investors) will only come and erect their buildings because basic infrastructures will already be in place,” said CSR head of Real Estate Development, Fred Rwihunda.

He explained in an interview that infrastructures will be put into place before investors start their work, citing the street lights, roads, public telephones and internet connection.

Each of the plots on sale cost Rwf 101,000 per square meter, and about 20 parcels will be given out, two of them expected to be multi-storied with 16 floors while the rest are expected to have about four storeys.

Finance and Economic Planning Minister James Musoni, who represented the government, noted that the launch of CBD was a big step towards the realisation of Vision 2020.

"When people talk about Vision 2020, others think it is a dream,” he said, adding that the development of Kigali City will heavily depend on the perfect implementation of the Kigali Master Plan.

Musoni appreciated the fact that the locality on sale will contain commercial quarters, offices, habitation and other facilities like schools and hospitals, saying that this is sign of real development in any modern city.

The Friday function also saw Kigali City Council handing over power to Nyarugenge District in matters related to the construction of the CBD, which will comprise of the current downtown Kigali, as prescribed by the Master Plan.

Kigali City Mayor Dr. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira explained that the implementation of the Master Plan aims at improving life in the city to meet the modern cities’ living standards.  

"Every plot has its own properties contained in the developer’s package,” she said.

Kacyira also called for collective efforts of different stakeholders including the developers, investors, local leaders and residents for the success of the Master Plan.

About 750 families were expropriated from the then-called Lower Kiyovu to a place named Batsinda, an exercise that is said to have cost around Rwf 2 billion.

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