Nyamasheke District plans to construct or upgrade four roads covering 98.5 kilometres as part of a long-term strategy to improve connectivity, ease the movement of agricultural produce and support economic activities across the district.
The proposed projects are outlined in the newly published Nyamasheke District Land Use Plan 2025-2050, which identifies four road corridors crossing eight sectors.
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The longest is the 42-kilometre Tyazo-Rangiro-Yove-Murambi road, which will pass through Kanjongo, Rangiro, Cyato and Murambi sectors.
It is followed by the 21-kilometre Gashirabwoba-Shangi-Ntango road, serving Bushenge, Shangi and Nyabitekeri; the 20-kilometre Ntendezi-Mwezi-Ruguti road, crossing Ruharambuga and Karengera; and the 15.5-kilometre Kirambo-Susa-Murambi road, serving Kanjongo and Murambi.
The plan identifies the four routes as roads to be constructed or upgraded, but does not specify when the works will start or how much they will cost.
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A largely unpaved road network
The proposed projects come as the district seeks to improve a road network that is predominantly unpaved.
According to the plan, Nyamasheke has 1,249.6 kilometres of roads, of which only 116.7 kilometres are paved, while 1,132.9 kilometres are unpaved.
The network includes 113.7 kilometres of national roads, all paved; 178.5 kilometres of District Roads Class 1, of which three kilometres are paved; 411.2 kilometres of District Roads Class 2, all unpaved; and 546.2 kilometres of other roads, also unpaved.
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The district is connected to neighbouring areas through two main national roads. The Buhinga-Kitabi road, classified as NR10, links Nyamasheke to Rusizi and Nyamagabe districts, while the Giheke-Buhinga-Tyazo-Mugonero road, NR11, connects it to Rusizi and Karongi.
The plan says Bushenge and Ntendezi rural-urban centres are also connected to the district town by paved roads.
However, the Gashirabwoba-Shangi district road is paved only up to Bushenge Hospital, with the plan identifying a need to extend the paving to Nyabitekeri Sector.
Several other district roads remain unpaved and connect different sectors to the national road network.
The plan identifies poor feeder roads as one of the challenges affecting agriculture and livestock production in the district, saying they hamper the movement of goods and access to post-harvest facilities.
It proposes developing feeder roads, particularly in areas with significant agricultural activity, as part of efforts to support rural economies.
The document points to the district's strategic location between the secondary cities of Karongi and Rusizi, as well as its connection to DR Congo through Lake Kivu, as opportunities for agricultural markets.
Beyond the four identified projects, the plan proposes wider changes to how roads are designed, maintained and used across the district. Under the plan, the district will prioritise upgrading existing roads to ensure year-round accessibility, with an emphasis on climate-resilient infrastructure.
It also proposes revising urban road design standards and introducing a Road Asset Management system to improve the maintenance and management of the district's road network.
Under the proposed standards, national roads and District Roads Class 1 would have a width of 44 metres in rural areas and 28 metres in urban areas.
District Roads Class 2 would have proposed widths of 24 metres in rural areas and 20 metres in urban areas, while other roads would have a standard width of nine metres.
For high-capacity urban roads in Nyamasheke's central business district, Bushenge and Ntendezi rural-urban centres, the plan provides for dual carriageways with two lanes in each direction and a 28-metre right of way.
The proposed design includes road shoulders and green spaces, a central median, pedestrian footways and road reserves. For single-carriageway urban roads, it proposes a 20-metre right of way.
The plan also calls for public transport networks, cycling routes and pedestrian pathways to be prioritised in urban centres.