Kigali City’s One Stop Centre has approved the construction of a multi-billion tourism university campus at Rebero in Kicukiro District.

Rwanda Tourism University College (RTUC) will be built in phases starting with two lecture blocks.

The project is one of a number of construction projects KCC has approved and it is expected to cost Rwf9.3 billion upon completion.

26 investment projects valued at over Rwf 13.4 billion have been approved since January.

RTUC is one of the few institutions of higher learning operating without a full license partly due to lack of permanent premises.

The university currently operates from a rented facility.

Zulphat Mukarubega, the proprietor of the institute, explained that the university would shift as soon as the first phase is complete.

"It is the lack of premises that has held us from getting a full operating license from the Ministry,” Mukarubega said, adding that the university fulfilled all the other requirements.

She said that the construction of the first phase (lecture rooms) is expected to kick off early this month, with completion due by October. This particular phase will cost Rwf1.3 billion.

"We have contracted a Turkish construction company, ELSEK and ELSEK construction company LTD. They are going to use modern construction methods that are quick and efficient,” she said.

The other phases that will be built within five to six years will include a restaurant, hotel, students’ centre (shopping mall), cultural centre and hostels.

All the facilities will be used to train students.

"We want to put up all the necessary facilities at the campus for better learning,” said Mukarubega, who runs the only hospitality training university in the country.

She also called upon investors to invest in some of the facilities to enable faster completion of the project.

"This project is meant to develop the country’s tourism industry, so anyone interested can invest to speed up the completion.”

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