Rwamagana District has earmarked more than Rwf19 billion for roads development, maintenance and beautification of the town centre. Mayor Nehemie Uwimana, while inaugurating a 1.7 kilometre town street network constructed in the first phase of the rehabilitation programme, yesterday, said the project, would be complete by 2017. He said the construction was part of a wider project aimed at improving township routes to facilitate business. “We just completed 1.7 out of 19 kilometres we want to construct...this first phase involved a number of pavements. By the end of the year, we shall have finished eight more kilometres,” he said. The mayor said the work involved widening of the junctions and town routes to allow easy movement and ease the construction of buildings across the district. He said the aim was to give Rwamagana town a mega face-lift. “This is part of our larger district master plan, the first step toward actualising the master plan. Next on course will be other elements such as elaborating on the planned industrial area as well as other physical works.”Mixed feeling The completion of the road brought relief to residents and owners of businesses in town who had voiced concern over the delay of the works. Alex Kanyandekwe, an area businessman, said: “That the road is now complete is a welcome relief to us. It took longer than we anticipated. The construction begun in a rainy season, our routes were messed up,” he said. But, while some road network redesign in town may well be beneficial to the community, residents question the scale, and architectural arrangements of the pedestrian walkways and drainage channels. However, the Provincial Director of Planning, Boniface Nirenganya, defended the project, saying construction will lead to business boom. “These town road networks are environmentally friendly and useful to businesses. Some roads will allow one way traffic movement,” he said. The aim of the town’s road network project is to get a major face-lift under an initiative to create jobs and boost the local economy.
