Minister happy with Musanze road works but pushes district on funding

Construction of roads in Musanze District could be completed ahead of the set deadline, the Minister of State for Transport, Dr Alex Nzahabwanimana, has said. The minister was on Wednesday assessing ongoing road construction works in the district. He said, once completed, the roads would attract investors and spur other development activities in the district. The 25km of tarmac road network is to be done in two phases, according to officials. The construction will cost Rwf12.5b and is fully funded by the central government. The first phase comprises 15km and covers part of the stretch from Musanze town to the Rwanda Defence Force Command and Staff College at Nyakinama and other roads around Musanze town. The construction was projected to be completed by May next year, but given the speed at which the xercise is going, we are optimistic it will done three months ahead of time, Nzahabwanimana said. “The construction is on track, since the time we started three months ago, we have covered 35 per cent of the work, but used 23 per cent of the time allocated. The project is advancing,” he said. The construction works were initially delayed due to budgetary constraints and procurement procedures, but the central government has since committed to financing the project, according to the minister. Nzahabwanimana, however, urged districts to avail resources for construction of roads, describing such infrastructure as ‘fundamental pillars of development’. “Districts should prioritise roads construction and ensure that they plan for them in their budgets. Musanze District, for instance, should upgrade at least 1.5km of roads per year as has been the case in Nyanza District, where they have managed to construct more than 3km per year,” he said. The construction is being done by NPD Cotraco under the supervision of Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA). Alphonse Kamugisha, the Musanze urban roads project manager from RTDA, said they are paying attention to the quality of the works. Over Rwf145m was used in the expropriation process in first phase, while over Rwf150m will be used in the second phase, according to Kamugisha. Local leaders and residents welcomed the roads construction drive, saying it will not only change the image of the town, but also facilitate business. Musanze District mayor Winifride Mpembyemungu said the exercise is expected to change the city’s face and influence development in other sectors. She pledged that they would also support the construction of other roads. Minister Nzahabwanimana said the Government plans to construct roads linking provinces so that passengers wishing to go to any province do not have to go through Kigali. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Minister happy with Musanze road works but pushes district on funding