A rehabilitated road linking Bugesera to Ngoma and Nyanza districts is opening a shorter route for freight trucks travelling between Tanzania and Rwanda’s Southern and Western provinces, helping them avoid traffic congestion in Kigali while creating new opportunities for farmers, traders and businesses along the corridor.

Truck drivers say the route from the Rusumo border through Bugesera and Nyanza has significantly reduced travel time by providing an alternative to passing through Kigali, where congestion can add hours to long-distance journeys.

"Whenever we used the road from Rusumo border to the Southern and Western provinces, a driver could lose about two hours in Kigali traffic, especially between Kabuga and Remera. Today, the route from Rusumo through Bugesera and Nyanza to the Southern and Western provinces is shorter,” said Aloys Nkundimana, a cross-border truck driver.

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The road is part of the wider 123-kilometre Ngoma-Nyanza road upgrading project, which connects Ngoma, Bugesera and Nyanza districts and links the Eastern and Southern provinces to the Kigali-Huye highway without requiring motorists to pass through the City of Kigali.

The project is being implemented in phases, including the 52.8-kilometre Ngoma-Ramiro road and the 66.5-kilometre Kibugabuga-Gasoro road.

Together, the upgraded routes are expected to facilitate the movement of goods and people along a key regional corridor connecting Tanzania to Rwanda and neighbouring countries through the Rusumo border.

The Central Corridor, which stretches about 2,170 kilometres through Tanzania, links Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Port of Dar es Salaam.

Beyond freight transport, the improved road is already changing how farmers and small-scale traders in Bugesera move their goods to markets.

In the middle of the day, the smooth road from Kamabuye Sector to Rweru is busy with cyclists returning from Kamabuye Market, their bicycles loaded with bananas, avocados and other produce.

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Kamabuye Market is held every Monday and Thursday, attracting traders and farmers from surrounding areas.

Bugesera, known for its flat terrain and strong bicycle culture, relies heavily on bicycles for transporting people and goods. The improved road has replaced the bumpy, dusty route that previously slowed journeys, damaged bicycles and made it difficult to transport produce.

In 2017, the Government and the World Bank Group signed a €75.9 million financing agreement for the rehabilitation of the road linking Ngoma and Nyanza districts.

For bicycle transporters, the impact is already being felt.

"The road from Kamabuye to Rweru was full of holes, making it hard to push a bicycle. Today we see a clear change. It was tiresome, and we were always repairing our bicycles because they could easily be damaged by the poor road,” said Emmanuel Mbarushimana, a bicycle transporter who moves goods between Kamabuye and Rweru.

Mbarushimana said the journey from Rweru to Kamabuye, which used to take about an hour, now takes around 30 minutes because of the improved road.

The return journey, which could take up to two hours because of the uphill terrain and the need to push the bicycle, has also been reduced to about one hour.

"My income has increased from Rwf4,000 per day to Rwf8,000 because I can make more trips thanks to the smooth road,” he said.

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Etienne Ndayisaba, who transports ripe bananas, avocados and other goods and lives in Rweru Sector, said the road had also made it easier to transport farm produce.

"Transporting harvests has become easier. Because of the poor road, we used to take long alternative routes. The journey could take two hours. Today, we can even ride bicycles at night, which allows me to make more trips and increase my income,” he said.

Ndayisaba said he currently transports goods from Kamabuye to Rweru twice a day, earning about Rwf6,000, up from Rwf3,000.

For other residents, the improved road has opened up connections to markets beyond Bugesera.

"We usually go to a cattle market in Ruhango District to buy or sell cows. However, it was very difficult during both the rainy and dry seasons. Transport costs have also reduced,” said Justin Nyandwi, a resident of Ngeruka Sector.

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Samuel Munyanganizi, a resident of Kamabuye, said the road had transformed movement between sectors and districts.

"This road has made life easier. A person can now travel from here to Ruhuha with bananas and return with maize without facing challenges,” he said.

He said the journey to Nyanza, which previously took about five hours, can now be completed in less than two hours.

"Someone can leave in the morning, complete their business, return home and still make another trip,” he added.

Ephrem Twahirwa, another resident, said the improved road had also attracted more vehicles and businesses to the area.

"Goods trucks that never used to pass here now use this road regularly. Even large trucks carrying sand now come here to unload. Travelling to Nyanza has become much easier, and reaching Ruhuha is no longer a challenge,” he said.

Jacqueline Uwamariya, a resident of Ruhuha Sector, said public transport had also improved.

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"Buses could not reach the area because the unpaved road was in poor condition. It is now easier to travel to Nyanza, Nyamata and other areas. Many people are buying plots here, while others are investing in agriculture and livestock farming,” she said.

Investment opportunities

The improved road is also expected to create opportunities in logistics, transport and other businesses along the corridor.

Laurien Benedata, chairperson of the Private Sector Federation in the Eastern Province, said the road linking Ngoma to the Southern Province was creating significant investment opportunities.

He said the Ngoma-Bugesera route could also become an important link for goods moving to and from the upcoming Bugesera International Airport.

Bugesera Mayor Richard Mutabazi said the district’s location at the intersection of the Eastern and Southern provinces and the City of Kigali makes it a strategic investment destination.

He said improved connectivity would create opportunities in agriculture, housing, tourism, hospitality and agro-processing.

"Transporters of goods and people using the road offer opportunities for restaurants, petrol stations, accommodation and other businesses,” he said.

The improved route is also expected to support trade in agricultural produce, with traders already using it to transport bananas, pineapples and other products to markets in Bugesera and Kigali.

For cyclists such as Mbarushimana, the immediate benefit is more trips, lower transport costs and higher earnings. For the wider region, the road offers a faster route for moving people and goods while opening up new opportunities for trade and investment.