Wednesday was Day I of the implementation of new Covid-19 measures across Rwanda. New restrictions include curbs on countryside inter-district travel and movement between the City of Kigali and the rest of the country. Curfew hours have also been brought forward by two hours and now start at 7p.m through 4a.m, while public offices are required to host not more than 15% of employees at any time, with private businesses required not to exceed 50 per cent capacity.

On Wednesday, a New Times team set out to observe how the guidelines were taking hold around the City of Kigali.

Nyabugogo Taxi and Bus Park, a major gateway to the city, was a deserted place in the morning hours.

All offices of public transport companies that ply upcountry routes were closed.

Eric Ntibayizi, one of the security guards, arrived at work at around 5a.m.

Speaking to The New Times, he said that in the early morning there were few passengers who wanted to go upcountry, but the police sent them back home because there was not a single bus to go outside Kigali.

At the time The New Times reached there at around 9a.m, only the buses operating within Kigali were allowed inside the taxi park. 

You could rarely see anyone who wanted to go upcountry. Thousands of people had thronged the bus terminal the day before, all of them heading back home just in time before the new guidelines came into force, our team was told.

Bosco Tuyishime, Public Relations Officer, Horizon Express, told The New Times on Wednesday that their offices were open only for couriers’ fetchers.

"People are now familiar with situations like this, that’s why we haven’t been approached by anyone who wanted to go upcountry,'' he said.

He added that people were prepared for the ban on inter-district travel. "All passengers who were in the taxi park yesterday (Tuesday) were able to go, because we added to our buses, and with the help of the police and RURA (the utilities regulator) everyone was able to go.”

But there were a few people who were still stranded in the capital and some headed to Nyabugogo to try their chances.

One of them was Carine Nirere, from Nyabihu District, Western Province, who was in Kigali to pay a visit to her sick relative.

She said she had come to see if there were any chances for her to go back home.

"I was not able to come yesterday as did others, because this person was still sick and I wouldn’t leave her alone, that’s why I waited until today but it’s obvious that I am not going to make it home,” she said.

But she suggested that there was a chance for her to move from Kigali using vehicles that transport goods because they are allowed to move freely (though it is illegal to transport other people, according to the police).

"They charged me Rwf10, 000 to take me to Musanze (which neighbours Nyabihu), which was too much since the regular price was less than Rwf2000, I suggested giving them Rwf8, 000 but they refused,” she added.

Apart from Nirere, there were other people who were crossing Kigali city’s borders, some using vehicles that transport goods, and others crossing by foot, according to eyewitnesses in Nyabarongo. 

CP John Bosco Kabera, speaking on Ubyumva Ute talk-show on KT Radio, later Wednesday warned people who utilise the permissions they’re given to transport others, that they will be punished for it.

For those who have emergencies outside the areas where they are prohibited to travel due to the Covid restrictions, he said they should seek special consideration, instead of resorting to illegal ways.

"The police and other authorities are still open to receiving such cases and are willing to help where possible,” he said.

15% in public offices

Public institutions are only allowed to have in office a maximum of 15% of their staff with others expected to work from home, while 50% is allowed in private institutions.

"The offices were almost empty, very few employees were there, the parking which was usually filled with vehicles, there were only a few of them,” a citizen who went to the National Bank of Rwanda and the Immigration and Emigration Department offices told The New Times.

The Minister for Local Government, Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi, appearing on Ubyumva Ute, said many institutions, both public and private, had recorded Covid cases, which is the main reason why the government had moved to reduce the number of employees who go to offices at any particular time.

"We recommend that the heads of both public and private institutions respect the guideline on the number of employees who are allowed to come to work,” he said. "That will help reduce the number of people on the roads, and will reduce transmissions at work.”

He added: "They must have people assigned to inspect if Covid protocols are being respected.”

Enter curfew hours…

From Wednesday, curfew starts from 7p.m to 4a.m, and all businesses have to close by 6p.m.

On the first day of the new guidelines, closing businesses at 6p.m was not an issue generally, as many shops and restaurants around the city closed around the same time.

But a lot of people were not at home at 7p.m. Many blamed traffic jams.

A team of reporters was deployed around the city just before the new curfew hours, and they said many people failed to make it home in time for the 7p.m curfew.

There was heavy traffic jam on Gisimenti-Giporoso-Kabeza road, as well as Giporoso-Kanombe road, both routes experiencing a gridlock from around 6p.m.

It was the same situation on other major roads, including Gishushu-Nyarutarama-Kagugu, Kisementi-Kimironko, Sonatube-Nyanza, among others.

In most cases, motorists were driving at break-neck speed to beat the curfew.

CP Kabera explained that the main cause of the traffic jam is the carelessness of people. "Someone who is among 15% or 50% that is allowed in the office finishes their job at around 4p.m and then they go to meet friends instead of going straight home, later they find out that they are running out of time and are about to violate the curfew order, then they rush home at the last minute,” he said.

No fatal or serious accident was recorded on the evening, Kabera said.

"There are others who are not included in 15% or 50% of employees to work from the office, which leads someone to invite a friend to go out with, one is from work other one is from home, then they are going to spend the time they would have used to reach home, obviously they will cause the traffic jam,” he added.