Expropriation for four multi-billion national road projects gets greenlight

A new Ministerial Order signed by the Minister of Environment, Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, approved the expropriation of assets in public interest along four roads set to be constructed. ALSO READ: Why Base-Kidaho road project stalled The approval of the expropriation – published on December 20, 2023, in the official gazette – was done to pave way for the construction and rehabilitation of Base (Rulindo)-Butaro (Burera)-Kidaho (Burera) road, Sashwara (Nyabihu)-Rega (Nyabihu)-Mutovu (Rubavu)-Kabuhanga (Rubavu)-Busasamana (Rubavu)- Muhato (Rubavu) road, Mukoto (Rulindo)-Nyacyonga (Gasabo) road, as well as Kigali Logistics Platform (Kicukiro)-Bugesera road. What we have done as the Ministry of Environment is give a greenlight to the road construction projects given that the expropriation law also comes from the Ministry of Environment. The land including environment features such as forests and others, which we are in charge of, will also be affected during the expropriation in the public interest, Jeanne D'arc Mujawamariya, the Minister of Environment told The New Times on Monday, January 1. The ministerial order, she noted, aims to inform the public about the “expropriation in the public interest” and appropriate compensation according to the law. The residents with assets along the road should facilitate the expropriation as they get informed about planned land surveying, she said. Imena Munyampenda, the Director General of Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA), later, on Tuesday, told The New Times that for Base-Butaro-Kidaho road, a contract was signed and expropriation will start “by January 2024.” He said procurement is ongoing for Sashwara-Rega-Kabuhanga-Muhato road and it is expected to be completed by April, while expropriation will start between June and July. “For Nyacyonga-Mukoto road, a contract has been signed and expropriation will start toward March.” For Kigali Logistics Platform –Bugesera road, he said, procurement will start between February and March, while expropriation will start toward the end of the year. Base-Butaro-Kidaho road Construction of Base-Butaro-Kidaho road had earlier come to a halt due to the demanding requirements set under the financing agreement between the Government of Rwanda and the Export-Import Bank of India (India Exim Bank). ALSO READ: ‘Unrealistic' India Exim Bank deal: What next after projects stall? In May 2018, Rwanda and India signed a $66.6 million (about Rwf84 billion) concessional loan agreement. Consequently, the government is currently collaborating with the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and a local civil engineering and construction company, NPD. Under a pre-financing agreement, CRBC and the local company will undertake the road construction, with the government making payments in instalments. The Base-Butaro-Kidaho road project, spanning 63 kilometres and located in Northern Province, was intended to connect Rulindo and Burera Districts, as well as link the country to Uganda through Cyanika border crossing. The road will connect the emerging touristic centre of Burera, Ruhondo lakes and key infrastructure like the University of Global Health Equity as well as the Cancer Reference Hospital of Butaro. Nyacyonga-Mukoto road The Government of Rwanda and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), in May 2022, signed a financing agreement worth $18 million (Rwf22.7 billion) to rehabilitate 36 km Nyacyonga-Mukoto road. The road will connect two important national paved roads from the northern part of the City of Kigali to Northern Province. It will start at the Kigali-Gatuna junction in Gasabo District and end at the Kigali-Musanze road junction in Rulindo District. Once complete, the road will improve the safety of road users including pedestrian and other non-motorized traffic, promote trade, increase mobility and reduce transport costs by facilitating regional mobility of goods and people. It will also act as a diversion to reduce traffic congestion on the national road network especially to and from Northern Province and Western Province, along the border with DR Congo The financing agreement is concessional.It carries a 1.75 per cent interest rate payment over 20 years including a grace period of five years. The entire project cost is estimated at $41 million (about Rwf51.7 billion). The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) committed a financing of $18 million (Rwf22.7 billion) to this project while the Government of Rwanda’s contribution is estimated at $5 million – mainly to cater for payment of taxes and expropriation budget. In 2022, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Uzziel Ndagijimana, stated why Rwanda needs the road. He said: “The rehabilitation of Nyacyonga-Mukoto road will support Rwanda’s national strategy for transformation through accelerating sustainable urbanization with a focus on improvement of rural and urban transportation services through the establishment of 14,100 kilometers of scheduled bus routes countrywide. “We thank the OFID for the longstanding partnership in different priority areas of our economy.” Kigali Logistics Platform-Bugesera road Kigali Logistics Platform serves as a gateway to the heart of Africa, connecting Rwanda to neighbouring countries including DR Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. ALSO READ: Govt to set up logistics platform to facilitate international trade The facility will also access the port of Mombasa in Kenya and Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, securing two trade gateways to the sea. Kigali Logistics Platform opened with the potential to benefit Rwandan businesses with up to $50 million (Rwf63 billion) in logistics savings. Kabuhanga-Muhato road Rwanda Transport Development Agency commissioned a project of upgrading the project of roads with 81.7 kilometres crossing into provinces and districts. These include the north–western lot in Musanze, Nyabihu and Rubavu Districts, which comprises three sections: Kinigi-Kabuhanga (48.4 km), Kabuhanga-Bugarama-Kiraro (10.7km) and Kabuhanga-Busasamana-Cyanzarwe-Muhato (22.6 km). The road from Kabuhanga to Rubavu is in bad condition and needs improvement. The agriculture production in this area is high but lacks proper road networks to access the market in the country and across the border.

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Expropriation for four multi-billion national road projects gets greenlight