Rwigara case was handled professionally, Police, City officials say

Following claims by the family of late Assinapol Rwigara linking the decision by the City of Kigali authorities on the redevelopment of their plots in Kiyovu, to the death of the businessman, Rwanda National Police (RNP) and the City of Kigali (CoK) clarified that issues surrounding the incident were handled “professionally.” Rwigara died in a road accident in Kagugu Cell of Kinyinya Sector in Gasabo District in February. There have been circulating reports quoting family members, including the wife of the deceased, Adeline Mukangemanyi, challenging the structural audit and decision by the City of Kigali which has since directed that two sections of the commercial building in Kiyovu constructed without authorisation and at risk of collapsing, be razed down. However, the two public organs have challenged these allegations saying all issues surrounding these incidents were handled professionally and through standard procedures. “Immediately after the unfortunate road accident that claimed the life of Assinapol Rwigara, the Police intervened and conducted its investigations and family members were informed on every development. Even when the family raised other concerns surrounding the incident later, further systematic and thorough investigations were conducted and findings were also shared with the family, who expressed that their concerns had been addressed and revealed that their accusations were just based on hearsay,” CSP Celestin Twahirwa, the RNP Spokesperson, said. “Last week, Mukangemanyi was summoned following utterances against the State associating City of Kigali decision with the death of her husband.” Meanwhile, authorities at the City of Kigali have said that the building in question was erected without following the granted construction permit guidelines. “All decisions that were taken regarding the building and even another undeveloped plot in Kiyovu, followed proper procedures,” Fidèle Ndayisaba, the Mayor of City of Kigali, said. The undeveloped plot has since been confiscated by Nyarugenge District after the owner failed to meet the deadline for developing it. Under normal circumstances, every acquired plot is supposed to be developed within a period of three years, and Mayor Ndayisaba clarified that the owner had exceeded the deadline before the final decision was taken. “Spreading rumours and attempting to alarm the population is an act punishable by the law. Rwanda is a country which respects rule of law. Rwigara’s family is not above the law despite what has befallen them. It does not change respect of the law,” CSP Twahirwa said. He appealed to the general public to always abide by the law and work with relevant institutions to resolve any problem at hand. Genesis of the problem One of the properties in question is Premier Hotel which was found to have not met the minimum requirements for safety regulations. The building, on plot number 652 in Kiyovu Cell, Nyarugenge District in the City of Kigali, was initially the family’s residence, but the owners later changed it into a hotel. In a letter dated July 14, City Mayor Fidele Ndayisaba instructed the family to remove the illegally built ‘sections A and B’ of the structure not later than August 15. The sections were built without city authorisation. City authorities earlier commissioned a consultant, Saint Joseph Engineering Company (SJEC), to carry out a structural audit to ensure that the building’s structure is safe and serviceable. The consultant found that the owners, allegedly, were not willing to share the documentation indicating the structural adjustments as the building was remodeled into a hotel. As per the consultant’s report seen by The New Times, changes were done on the structure in various steps of reconstruction. The SJEC report, dated June 30, 2015, further indicates that today, the finishing works “are ongoing and the client has a building with basements and three to five floors.” “To serve this purpose, the client provided additional columns passing through the existing slab, and he cast a new one above. The old columns remained part of the structure on the top,” reads part of the report.

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Rwigara case was handled professionally, Police, City officials say