50 percent of Kigali city to be upgraded in 50 years

KIGALI City Council (KCC) will only upgrade 50 percent of its area in the next 50 years, it has emerged. This was revealed Wednesday by KCC Director of Urban Planning, Lillian Mupende. She was addressing delegates from Kampala City Council who are on a four-day tour of Kigali city. The delegation from Kampala has been in Kigali since Tuesday. They are in the country to get lessons and share knowledge on how the two cities can improve standards. Mupende said that the other 50 percent of the 730 square kilometres that make up Kigali city is hilly, or wetlands and sewage management systems. According to the City Master Plan, the areas to be redeveloped include Kimihurura gateway with commercial, tourism and recreation facilities, Muhima and Kimicanga identified as Central Business District 1 and upgrading of the existing commercial district at Nyarugenge. Other areas to be upgraded are Akumunigo development zone in Nyamirambo, Kinyinya development zone, both areas which will be self sufficient residential hubs. The commercial and residential areas are Masaka and Rebero development zones both in Kicukiro District “The state of growth in the city has led to a rise in demand for real estate and basic infrastructure,” Mupende said without mentioning the financial costs to be incurred. With a population of 1 million and a recorded urbanization growth rate of 10.7 percent vis a vis the average 3.5 percent of other cities in Africa, Mupende said that they have embarked on development of its Central Business District (CBD) by enhancing better physical service especially infrastructure to facilitate the city’s economic growth “We have just completed the first phase of the master plan which is the conceptual master plan, and the city has now engaged qualified consultants to carry out the second phase to develop detailed physical plans for the identified zones.” The Kigali Conceptual Master Plan highlights the basic needs and liveability of the City for its citizens. These include adequate housing, education and workplace opportunities, infrastructure and transport, healthcare and services, and quality of life. Ends