The City of Kigali has revised how it collaborates with residents to construct neighbourhood roads, introducing a new cost-sharing model aimed at expanding road development across the city. Previously, residents contributed 30 per cent of construction costs while the city covered the remaining 70 per cent. Under the new arrangement, both residents and the city will contribute 50 per cent each. According to the city’s spokesperson, Emma-Claudine Ntirenganya, the change was prompted by a surge in requests from communities seeking support to build neighbourhood roads. ALSO READ: City sets up fund for financing neighbourhoods roads “The government’s contribution has been reduced from 70 per cent to 50 per cent so that available resources can be distributed across more neighbourhood road projects,” she said. “This means more communities will benefit from the programme, and the number of tarmac roads within neighbourhoods is expected to increase.” Neighbourhood road projects are generally prioritised on a first-come, first-served basis, although communities must meet several requirements. These include raising at least 50 per cent of the project cost, forming a committee to manage the project, and opening a bank account to hold the community’s contribution. Other requirements include providing a detailed cost estimate, ensuring the road has a minimum width of six metres, and confirming that there are no expropriation issues along the proposed route. ALSO READ: City of Kigali to build more roads: which neighbourhoods? While launching the construction of a 1.7-kilometre neighbourhood road in Jabana Sector, Gasabo District, the Vice Mayor in charge of Urbanisation and Infrastructure, Fulgence Dusabimana, said the city plans to begin work on an additional 20 kilometres of neighbourhood roads. He said the projects will start within two to three months after the completion of eight kilometres of roads whose works had previously been delayed. Construction on nine stalled neighbourhood roads funded jointly by residents and the City of Kigali has also resumed after the city secured new contractors. The projects had stalled after residents complained that contractors abandoned the works despite their financial contributions. City officials confirmed that the tender has since been re-awarded and that a new contractor has resumed work on nine roads covering eight kilometres in Kicukiro and Nyarugenge districts. ALSO READ: Inside Rwf140bn project to upgrade Kigali roads Dusabimana added that communities willing to fully finance neighbourhood roads without the city’s 50 per cent contribution are free to do so under the city’s technical guidance. The City of Kigali plans to construct 100 kilometres of paved neighbourhood roads by 2029 to improve mobility across the urban area. Community initiatives In Jali Sector, Gasabo District, residents have mobilised to improve a 4.3-kilometre neighbourhood road. According to Elie Ntakirutimana, who mobilised residents for the project, construction began on August 15, 2025 and has already made notable progress. Works include drainage infrastructure and retaining walls. Drainage channels are halfway complete while retaining wall construction is nearing completion. ALSO READ: Communities should mobilize to tarmac neighborhood roads These activities form Phase One of the project, covering 2.7 kilometres and focusing on foundational infrastructure. “At the moment, we are following up with city authorities so that officials can inspect the site and officially acknowledge the progress,” Ntakirutimana said. Under programme guidelines, residents must have 50 per cent of the project funds available before the city can intervene. However, Ntakirutimana said the community had already spent its collected funds on initial works. “The money is no longer in the community account because it was used for the construction works,” he said. Residents in Jabana Sector have also mobilised resources to rehabilitate a 1.7-kilometre road that had become severely damaged. The community raised Rwf36 million for the rehabilitation. “We have constructed drainage channels and rehabilitated the road using laterite. One kilometre has already been completed,” said Clementine Nyiraneza, a resident. “We now need the city’s support to upgrade it to a tarmac road. Residents have already contributed about 60 per cent of the required funding.” However, some residents in Gasabo District say they contributed funds several years ago for a road project that never materialised. “They brought machines once and passed through the area, but since then we have not seen them again. The money we contributed was never returned,” one resident said. Some households contributed between Rwf500,000 and Rwf1.5 million, but the road remains unfinished and becomes difficult to use during the rainy season. New standards for community roads To improve implementation of neighbourhood road projects, the City of Kigali has introduced new construction guidelines aimed at standardising the process. The instructions governing neighbourhood road construction were approved by the City Council and released in April 2025. Ntirenganya said roads built under the Tujyanemo programme will meet required quality standards. “In the past, some roads deteriorated quickly because residents built them without city supervision,” she said. Currently, works are carried out by contractors selected through public procurement and supervised by City of Kigali engineers. Independent inspection contractors are also involved to ensure quality standards are maintained. The new guidelines require neighbourhood roads to comply with national engineering standards, including proper drainage systems, pedestrian space, and adequate road width. The roads are designed to accommodate typical urban vehicles such as passenger cars, minibuses, buses, and small trucks, though not large articulated trucks. The framework allows organised community committees to formally propose road projects, which are assessed on a first-come, first-served basis depending on technical compliance and the city’s budget. The city may contribute up to 50 per cent of the total construction cost and is responsible for procuring contractors, supervising works, relocating utilities where necessary, and maintaining the roads after completion. If communities fully finance the construction, the City of Kigali still provides technical supervision and assumes responsibility for long-term maintenance.
