The City of Kigali has announced plans to commence drainage construction in unplanned settlements slated for upgrades in Gasabo and Kicukiro districts. ALSO READ: Inside Kigali’s plan to reduce informal settlements to 20% Property valuers have been assessing settlement sites in Nyabisindu and Nyagatovu, located in the Remera and Kimironko sectors of Gasabo District, since July 25. Similar upgrades are anticipated for unplanned settlements in the Kanombe and Niboye sectors of Kicukiro District under the second phase of the Rwanda Urban Development Project (RUDP II), funded by the World Bank. The number of properties to be expropriated is around 99, and the estimated budget for compensation is around Rwf 1 billion, Emma Claudine Ntirenganya, the Director General in Charge of Communication and Education in the City of Kigali, told The New Times. The comprehensive upgrade of Kigali’s major unplanned settlements will cost $70 million. These settlements in Nyarugenge, Kicukiro, and Gasabo districts will receive essential infrastructure such as roads, pedestrian pathways, drainage systems, street lights, electricity, health centers, markets, schools, and water supply, which are vital for facilitating daily business activities. The four selected unplanned settlements in Kigali are Mpazi in Nyarugenge District, Gatenga in Kicukiro District, and Nyagatovu and Nyabisindu, both in Gasabo District. The new infrastructure is expected to increase property values, encouraging residents to renovate their homes. This approach aims to upgrade slums while minimizing the recurrent eviction of residents. However, $15 million of the $70 million budget will be allocated for expropriating some properties, according to city officials. In Nyarugenge District, upgrades will be carried out in unplanned settlements spanning 137 hectares in the Muhima, Gitega, and Kimisagara sectors, along with the rehabilitation of the Mpazi drainage system to mitigate flooding. In Gasabo District, the Nyabisindu and Nyagatovu settlements will benefit from the construction of 9.3 km of roads and 7.9 km of pedestrian lanes, with public lighting installed along 17.2 km of streets. Additionally, Nyagatovu will see the upgrading of a football pitch and market. In Kicukiro District, the project will upgrade 11 km of roads and 6.3 km of footpaths and install public lighting along 17.2 km in an unplanned settlement covering 170 hectares. The City of Kigali estimates that 60% of the population currently lives in informal settlements prone to natural risks induced by climate change. This percentage is expected to be reduced to 20% by 2035. Moreover, Kigali has initiated a €56 million project to upgrade informal settlements in the Kinyinya sector of Gasabo District, as well as in the Rwezamenyo and Nyakabanda sectors of Nyarugenge District, covering 230 hectares. This project will construct essential infrastructure such as roads, street lights, water and electricity supply, drainage systems, and develop markets and other amenities within these settlements.
