Primature gardens to be privatised

Recreation:Kigali City Master Plannn It is prominent for its big size, neatly trimmed grass and one of Kigali’s green areas to relax and exercise, but in a bid to utilise scarce land resources, Kigali City Council (KCC) is giving away the roundabout at Primature in Kimihurura to investors for development.

Tuesday, March 06, 2012
A man jogs at the roundabout at Premature in Kimihurura. The gardens have been put up for privatisation. The New Times / File.

Recreation:Kigali City Master PlanIt is prominent for its big size, neatly trimmed grass and one of Kigali’s green areas to relax and exercise, but in a bid to utilise scarce land resources, Kigali City Council (KCC) is giving away the roundabout at Primature in Kimihurura to investors for development.The city authority has advertised the roundabout to a to turn it into a recreational facility that will boast of entertainment spots, restaurants and recreational parks.KCC yesterday called for bids for the prime land located between the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Defence, Rwanda Revenue Authority and Ministry of Foreign Affairs complex as part of implementation of the Kigali City Master Plan.In an interview with The New Times, KCC’s Communications Officer, Bruno Rangira said that the long term lease of the massive roundabout was aimed at utilising available land in the city, beginning with government-owned land."The city wants it to be turned into a modern recreational facility with entertainment spots and restaurants with an aim of creating a relaxing ambience for the residents and visitors of Kigali,”"These are supposed to be modern facilities that are in line with the city’s master plan. We thought that in its current situation it was underutilised,” Rangira said.Prospective bidders will be given the zoning and urban guidelines, plot demarcations, road layout and aerial images and according the City Council, investors will work within set standards as stipulated by the master plan.The bids containing development proposals will be opened on April 19, during which the best proposal will be considered.On whether the development won’t destroy one of the few gazetted green spots of Kigali, Rangira said that investors are expected to develop a garden park restaurant, without destroying major features of the roundabout."We expect the investor to keep the features of the park. Construction will take about 10 percent of the space,” Rangira said.