A German firm, in collaboration with Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), plan to construct up low-cost housing estimated to cost approximately Rwf 4.5 million per unit.

BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, a German construction company, will implement the project, in close collaboration with Germany African Business Association (GABA).

Each unit will consist of two bedrooms a bathroom and living room and will be built using locally available materials.

Speaking to The New Times yesterday, Helmut R. Schrader, the Senior Advisor at GABA, noted that the houses would be affordable.

Schrader pointed out that the company has developed technology to construct low cost housing, adding that it had already built light weight houses in Germany, South Africa, Ghana and Morocco.

"The houses are storm and fire resistant and before this year ends, we shall have built a sample house at KIST. This project is not limited to a few countries; we are going step by step to launch it in other African countries,” he explained.

G. Senthil Kumaran, the Head of Department Civil Engineering and Environmental Technology at KIST, said that project is vital for a section of the Rwandan population, who cannot afford high quality housing units.

"In order for people to afford the cost of shelter, we are importing the new technology that can be easily used by every Rwandan. We are going to use locally available materials to construct the houses,” he noted.

Among local materials to be used are volcanic cinders, banana and sisal fibre, among others.

Ends