CoK launches devt blueprint

The City of Kigali Master Plan 2013 will be implemented basing on the pillars of social inclusion to foster sustainable development and economic growth, according to the Lilian Mupende, the City of Kigali (CoK) director of urban planning and the One Stop Centre. Mupende said the plan will be implemented in three phases and the city is expected to have attracted investments that will fast-track growth by 2017.After this, focus will shift to improving quality of life of city residents through provision of basic services by 2025. It is expected that Kigali will have attained the status of the ‘centre of urban excellence’ in Africa by 2040. Mupende said the city will be divided into the Central Business District and agricultural farm lands in Gasabo and Kicukiro, which also hosts the free economic trade zone to ease implementation and focus.Also, Nyarugenge District will be developed as the city’s financial hub, while Gasabo will be an administrative centre and Kicukiro a knowledge hub. The Minister for Infrastructure, Prof. Silas Lwakabamba, lauded the city authority for developing the blueprint, calling it “a strategic response” to the challenges facing the City of Kigali.“The Government approved the master plan in 2006 with the objective of establishing a guideline for the country’s economic growth. Opening up opportunities to create more jobs and reduce poverty, provision of decent affordable homes and efficient ways in managing our resources influenced this decision,” he said while launching the master plan on Friday.Lwakabamba challenged stakeholders, especially the private sector, to come up with more innovative ideas which will make the implementation of the master plan possible.“The plan will be easy to implement if we work together. So, co-operation between development partners, local governments and the private sector will make this dream a reality,” he said.He stressed that urbanisation is a key pillar that will help realise EDPRS II objectives. Fidèle Ndayisaba, the City of Kigali mayor, said the master plan will attract investment into the city. “We need to be prepared to overcome challenges ahead as we embark on the implementation phase to make its goals a reality,” Ndayisaba said.According to the plan, the city road network will be redesigned, with the number of lanes being increased to eight, and a rapid transit bus system introduced. Water supply will be increased from 59,000 cubic metres to 448,000 cubic metres with River Nyabarongo providing an additional of 60,000 cubic metres.Power supply in the city will be increased from 85MW to 1185MW by 2040. Additional power generations projected to come from natural gas and importation from neighbouring countries.

News

CoK launches devt blueprint