March 29, 2024

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Chinese To Construct New Kigali Flyover To Ease Traffic During CHOGM 2020

REMA head Eng. Coletta Ruhamya (LEFT), Mayor Rwakazina Chantal (Right) and her deputy Busabizwa Parfait Kigali, during the tour of wetlands where thousands of families and businesses have been relocated

First Published By: THE CHRONICLES

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2020 or CHOGM 2020 is coming to Kigali with thousands of delegates – and with them heavy traffic.

Kigali will be paralyzed for several days if the small city is not prepared.

City of Kigali Mayor Marie Chantal Rwakazina with her team at City Hall secured a budget of more than Rwf 54billion for 2018/2019 – three times more than the previous year, to prepare.

Rwakazina and her technocrats appeared this Friday in the Chamber of Deputies’ Budget and Economy Committee to defend their planned expenditures for the coming year, and explain how current monies were, or are being, spent.

They appeared days after Finance Minister Dr Uzziel Ndagijimana presented the 2019-2020 budget framework.

Different other institutions will be doing the same as parliament and the executive agree on the final national budget to be presented in mid June.

Before the Committee, Kigali authorities said construction begins in October on a flyover road in Remera-Giporoso, an area of Kigali through which a major road from the airport passes.

The flyover road will connect vehicles from the bus park in Giporoso headed to Kabeza.

The project tender has already been handed to the Chinese, and is planned to be complete in a matter of months ahead of CHOGM which could be in late November 2020.

The flyover will also redirect vehicles from other areas that also converge in the Giporoso junction.

Mayor Rwakazina also told the committee that more junctions will be developed to push traffic away from the existing main roads. Several other roads are already being expanded.

This year, CoK budget is Rwf 54billion, and about 80% is for infrastructure, according to Rwakazina, in interview she gave The Chronicles recently.

For 2017/18, the City budgeted for Rwf19 billion. The budget estimates presented to Parliament, show the City will spend Rwf 23.5b.

It is planned to go up to Rwf 24b in the 2021 FY, and again grow by Rwf 2b the following year.

Kigali is also in the midst of a restructuring that will centralize the operations of the entire city away from the three districts.

A draft law is already before Parliament to centralize the planning and financial management. Various other radical changes are proposed, including removal of district Mayors.

Along with the road flyover in Remera, a pedestrian flyover is at the same time going to be constructed in Nyabugogo where the biggest bus park is located. The area also has serious traffic as well – both people and vehicles.

The area is also known for flooding during the rain season.

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