Property owners await clarity on Kigali junction upgrade plans

Property owners around the Chez Lando, Gishushu, and Sonatubes junctions which are set for major upgrades remain uncertain about whether their properties will be affected, a mini-survey by The New Times has found. The junction upgrades are part of the five-year Kigali Urban Transport Improvement (KUTI) Project, which aims to ease traffic flow in and around the capital. Chez Lando and Gishushu junctions are in Gasabo District, while Sonatubes is in Kicukiro District. Implementation is expected to start in the 2025/26 fiscal year. Key designs and costs At Chez Lando, an underpass will be built to allow vehicles heading from Gishushu toward Kigali International Airport (Kanombe) to pass beneath the main road. According to the Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA)’s Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), the underpass will span 740 metres and cost an estimated $23.4 million. At Gishushu, a 500-metre flyover bridge will be built from Simba Supermarket, allowing buses on the current road to pass below. The estimated cost is $20.3 million. At Sonatubes, a 620-metre underpass tunnel will begin near the Ministry of Health offices and rise near the former University of Tourism, Technology and Business Studies (UTB) building, at a cost of $26.3 million. ALSO READ: More four-lane roads, 43 flyovers planned for Kigali Owners voice uncertainty When The New Times visited the three areas, most property owners said they had not received any official communication about possible expropriation. “We have not been informed whether the hotel property will be affected. We only heard on the radio that the junction will be upgraded,” said Janvier Rwigamba, a representative of Chez Lando Hotel. Nearby, several other businesses—including Ndoli Supermarket, Rubis petrol station, and the BSC building—shared similar concerns. “We saw the designs in the media, but we cannot interpret them. There has been no meeting to inform us,” said Rodrigue Mucyo, manager at the Ndoli building. At Sonatubes, property owners expressed the same frustration. “We have not been informed whether our property might be affected,” said Jean Marie Vianney Munyantore, one of the owners in the area. “If we knew when the building might be affected, we could plan early. Transparency is needed,” added Gilbert Ndagijimana, a tailor renting nearby. Two officials at Classic Hotel, located near the Ministry of Health offices where the underpass will begin, said they had “not been informed of any changes.” At the opposite side of the junction, Emmanuel Niyonsaba, manager of the former UTB building, said no property valuation or expropriation notice had been issued. The New Times reached out to the RTDA Director General and the City of Kigali spokesperson, but neither responded with details on potential expropriations. Tender issued for the upgrades According to a notice posted on RTDA’s website on October 29, 2025, international construction and engineering firms have been invited to submit proposals for designing and building the three junction upgrades under a Design-and-Build (D&B) contract. The procurement will follow an Open Competitive Bidding (International) process. ALSO READ: Kigali to pilot dedicated bus lanes in six months Environmental and social impact The ESIA for the KUTI Project, released in July 2024, covered seven junctions: Chez Lando, Gishushu, Gisozi, Kibagabaga, Kicukiro/Sonatube, Rwandex, and Nyabugogo. Work will begin with Chez Lando, Gishushu, and Sonatubes. The report estimates that 664 individuals, classified as Project-Affected People (PAPs) could be impacted across all seven sites. Of these, 109 will be physically displaced, while 555 will be economically affected. A total of 63,527 square metres of land is expected to be acquired, valued at Rwf2.6 billion ($2 million). The estimated total compensation, including a 5% disturbance allowance as per the 2015 expropriation law, stands at Rwf24 billion ($18.3 million). A livelihood restoration budget of Rwf950.6 million ($725,000) has also been allocated to cover transition costs for displaced businesses, including six months’ rent and the upgrading of modern selling points at Nyabugogo, Kibagabaga, and Sonatubes.

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Property owners await clarity on Kigali junction upgrade plans