In 1987, Tanzania offered Rwanda 17, 5-hectare (ha) piece of land additional to 12 ha received from Kenya in 1986 at the regime of President Daniel Arap Moi.
Again in 2013, Djibouti offered Rwanda a 20-hectare piece of land at the port of Djibouti which it expanded buying more 40 ha. The latter was in reciprocity to a plot of land in the Kigali Special Economic Zone.
Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Soraya Hakuziyaremye has said that the process of defining the implementation modalities and the development of her land in Djibouti is on course with already designed blueprints for exploitation.
She revealed this on Monday during a press conference to disclose advantages Rwanda gains from admission to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
“There have been delays in exploiting those pieces of land like the case for Djibouti. We engaged into discussions with the country and gave them the proposal on modalities to exploit the land,” said Minister Hakuziyaremye.
She explained that utilizing the donated land will attract both the Government because the private sector as some have demonstrated willingness to put it to use.
“Private investors demonstrated willingness given that they already run businesses in the country. We tasked them come up with a proposal to be presented to Djibouti so they can operate from the place if approved,” she said
Minister Hakuziyaremye said, the Government is following the project and communicates outcomes from discussions.
In May 2018, MPs asked the former Minister of Trade and Industry, Vincent Munyeshyaka why it has been four years since Rwanda’s land received from Djibouti remains unexploited.
Munyeshyaka explained that the Government had signed a contract with a Chinese company ‘Tourchroad International Holding Group’ which had to prepare the land but cancelled the agreements later.
“The company had no competencies to prepare the land and decided to look for another contractor,” he said.
Munyeshyaka said the tender was won by three contractors while Rwanda Development Board (RDB) still assesses the feasibility of the project.
“During previous discussions, they demonstrated willingness to start working on the project because the proposal was well elaborated,” he said.
In April 2017, the then Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo said exploiting the land was a priority. She revealed it on the occasion of working visit along with President Paul Kagame to Djibouti.
In June last year, the senators’ general assembly urged the Government to closely follow up the project and communicate on the progress.
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