Nyagatare District on Wednesday, May 27 launched a new master plan for Nyagatare City, one of the six secondary cities in Rwanda. 

In an event that featured key stakeholders and businesses operating in the district, the launch marked the beginning of 28 days of "public display", before the master plan becomes permanent. 

The master plan outlines how the city will look like by 2050, with Nyagatare officials seeking to transform the largest district in the country into an agro processing and dairy hub. 

The city will occupy 67km², and 90 percent of it is in Nyagatare Sector, and two villages are from sectors of Rwempasha and Tabagwe.

The master plan was designed by Surbana Jurong, a Singaporean firm that also developed Kigali City's master plan.

District officials revealed that they want a "compact", and green city attractive to investment, with eased public transport, and strong job creation. 

The district seeks to prioritise its city first, and develop other trade centres after,  so as to promote both the main city and other trade centres simultaneously, according to Patrick Arinatwe of Surbana Jurong. 

Jean Marie Vianney Kuradusenge, a representative of Rwanda Housing Authority said, "We wished that Nyagatare remains a green city, therefore, this master plan brings a city residents want, but in a green way."

Sam Rubagumya, chairperson of the Private Sector Federation, declared that the master plan shows that the district wants to be an agro processing hub, and an investor will know the area to invest their money in. 

He added: "If you have a factory, you will know whether or not your factory is located in an area designed for factories, and a way forward."

Nyagatare District Mayor Claudian Mushabe, said the district in 2012 had a master plan, but it "needed improvements", and they had to do another one that is relevant with the current times. 

"A growing city must have a plan, it must have a direction, and this is exactly what we are doing."

The plan details how the city will expand, and where everything will be located in the city, from industries to recreational parks, he noted. 

"Nyagatare should be a city one is happy to live in, rather than wishing to go to Kigali," Mushabe added. 

The mayor said the district officials and its technicians are traversing the district to explain everything to residents, such that they know what is planned for their land by 2050. 

Residents will have a form to fill in their suggestions for improvement or alterations. There is a presidential order which stipulates that city master plans be displayed for 28 days, 'to make sure it is inclusive'.

Nyagatare District has 1,741km², 14 sectors, 106 cells and 628 villages and a population of 466,944.

Currently, the settlement within the district is on 40km², which is 2 percent of the total area of the district. 

It is projected that by 2050, Nyagatare will have a population of 1.4 million and 400,000 of them will be living in the city.