KIGALI - Kicukiro District authorities yesterday gave a one week ultimatum to close down a multi-storied building rented by government to house some departments of the Ministry of Health and the National Youth Council.

According to Paul-Jules Ndamage, the district Mayor, the five-storied structure located in Kicukiro along the Rwandex-Sonatubes road is dilapidated and a threat to lives of the occupants.

Ndamage pointed out that they have written several times telling the parties concerned of the issue but they neither responded nor renovated the building.

"The building poses a threat to whoever works in it. Part of its wall collapsed a long time ago and the remaining part is hanging, we told them to rebuild it but nothing has been done,” he pointed out.

The building that at one time served as the headquarters to the Auditor General’s Office and later the Ministry of Commerce, is being leased by government.

"We were going to close it down today and reopen it only after necessary works are carried out, but because some of the occupants were not aware, we have given them another week,” warned Ndamage.

The Mayor added that his office wrote to the Ministry of Infrastructure about the appalling state of the building, giving them an ultimatum of one month but they never responded in any way.

The Infrastructure Ministry is in charge of all structures either owned or rented by government.

Employees of government organs operating from the building said they would exert pressure on relevant authorities to ensure that necessary renovations are done.

"Within this week we shall put pressure on the owners and the Ministry of Infrastructure to work on the building, as for the hygiene we shall ourselves clean it up within a day,” said Catherine Mugyeni from Environmental Health Department.

The cleanup is part of a general operation by Kicukiro district to get rid of all the dilapidated and substandard buildings that largely pose security and health hazards to the population.

According to district officials, over 20 buildings including petrol stations have been so far been closed in the exercise.

Ends