Authorities close down multimillion city church

Nyarugenge District authorities have closed down a church because it was constructed without authorisation. According to the district authorities, Bethlehem Miracle Church located in Nyamirambo Sector, was built without a construction permit. The church is also accused of noise pollution. Speaking to The New Times, Solange Mukasonga, the Mayor of Nyarugenge District, said the multi-million complex was illegally constructed and could not be allowed to operate. According to the church leaders, the structure is worth Rwf230 million. “We have suspended the activities of the church because construction rules were breached,” she said, wondering why the church was constructed up to completion without proper documents. The church was also ordered to pay a fine of Rwf10 million, according to the mayor. However, the church leaders say they received the green light to build from both the district and sector leaders. Bethlehem Church was launched in 2009 and work s on the place of worship began in 2012, according to Jean Marie Murekezi, the treasurer of the church. Before they were ordered to close earlier this week, Murekezi said they had just started to install sound proof facilities. Eighty per cent of the money spent on the construction works was raised by the faithful while the rest was a loan obtained from a bank. When contacted, Pastor Faustin Muzindutsi, the legal representative of the church, acknowledged that the church was built and completed without a construction permit, adding that they were aware of the problem and had on several occasions attempted to get the required documents. “Construction works began in 2012 when sector officials urged us to make use of the land which had become a den for criminals,” Muzindutsi said. He added that the land officer at the district at the time told them that they could start construction while their construction permit was being processed. But he acknowledged that they never acquired a provisional permit or pass through the normal process. Yet he said they were on different occasions visited by officials from the district during the construction period. However, Emmanuel Nizeyimana, who is in charge of construction permits at the Nyarugenge District One-Stop Centre, denies supervising an illegal construction site, saying that the church has never submitted the application as required by law. “No technician or inspector can dare supervise an illegal structure. Aquiring a construction permit takes not more than 30 days. We have not seen any application from them apart from the one that authorised them to erect the fence,” he said. He, however, said that local leaders were also to blame because an illegal structure was built until completion without them raising an alarm. Mukasonga said the law will take its course. According to the law, any structure built without a permit is razed down and a fine imposed on the owner. The processes to apply for a construction permit entails submitting the land title, master plan and payment ranging between Rwf20,000 and Rwf60,000 depending on the size of the building to be put up.

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Authorities close down multimillion city church