Rubavu District authorities are urging property owners to modernise the town by renovating ageing commercial buildings and developing vacant plots. This initiative aims to transform Rubavu into a vibrant secondary city, with a focus on the development of multi-storey commercial buildings as the city sees growth in tourism and business potential. ALSO READ: Rubavu town gets new advanced taxi-park Prosper Mulindwa, the Mayor of Rubavu District, announced that the district has issued instructions to owners of properties located in the commercial area, asking them renovate old buildings or construct new multi-storey structures. We've already seen the emergence of several multi-storey buildings, including commercial ones, in the city,” Mulindwa stated. We've notified property owners with old buildings to either upgrade them or replace them with taller structures. ALSO READ: How Rubavu port is set to reshape cross-border trade with DR Congo The district is also preparing to issue notices to developers with stalled projects, urging them to resume construction. We are drafting letters to set deadlines for the completion of certain projects and the development of vacant plots, Mulindwa added. The drive to renovate commercial buildings in Rubavu town was launched in 2022. The initiative began with public awareness campaigns and assessment of existing structures, according to Théogène Ntawangwanabose, Head of the Rubavu Private Sector Federation (PSF) Committee overseeing the project. We conducted a study trip to Kigali to learn from their urban development strategies, Ntawangwanabose said. We then mobilised property owners to prioritise and support this initiative, emphasising the benefits of a modernised town as per government policy. ALSO READ: Rwanda-DR Congo border sees surge in people movement Ntawangwanabose acknowledged that one of the primary challenges was that some property owners were still reluctant to renovate their buildings. “Secondly, some property owners lack the financial resources to undertake major renovations or new construction projects,” he added. “We encourage them to explore such options as seeking investment partners or selling their properties.” Businesspeople who spoke to The New Times said the initiative to renovate old buildings in Rubavu was long overdue. Renovating Rubavu town is crucial, as many existing buildings are outdated, Alfred Hanyurwimfura, a businessman who owns a land plot in the town, said. According to Ntawangwanabose, data collected during the first phase of the project revealed the need to reconstruct over 100 buildings and develop numerous vacant plots. The second phase, also focused on the commercial area, identified an additional 70 properties, which needed to be renovated.
