Plans are underway to put the manmade lake located in the zone of Kibiraro 11, Nyaruitarama Cell in Remera Sector, to generate revenues and provide employment opportunities to the people living in the area.
The lake is commonly known as ‘Nyagahene’s lake’ located near Kigali Golf Club.
Exclusively speaking to Rosette Kuzwa the leader of Kibiraro 11 zone, she confirmed ,“we recently wrote to the mayor of Gasabo district requesting for the release of the lake so that we can rehabilitate it and put it to use as agreed on behalf residents of this zone toget with the members of FPR here.
She said the Gasabo District Mayor had promised to visit the place first and then give feedback but hasten to add that they have since not got a response from him.
According to Kuzwa, if put to use, the lake will provide employment opportunities to over 150 people during the rehabilitation process, generate revenues through taxing visitors at the lake particularly those that will be using boats to sail over the water during their leisure time and from tourists who will be coming for sun bathing.
Such revenues she emphasized are among others leading to the development of the area.
Kuzwa added that after renovating the site, security will be instituted since the area is currently infested with idlers.
Once the renovation project is approved, roads to the site will be tarmaced and fitted with road lights and security to ensure protection.
Kuzwa says once that is done the zone is planning to solicit funds from rich people in the area and other local organizations like RDB, MTN, and TIGO to start the rehabilitation process that will take less than two months.
Efforts to reach the Gasabo district mayor on the issue were futile. However, an official consulted at the district said the area is in the wetland and REMA should be consulted for environmental impact assessment (EIA).
According to Innocent Gashugi a Senior Environmental Engineer at RDB that conducts EIA to the Investors, the previous lake investor at the site was stopped for encroaching on the wet land.
“He was stopped because he had started to construct within 20 meters of the wetland which is not allowed.”
According to Rwanda’s environment regulations on wetlands article no. 87 provides that no infrastructure should be built within 20meters of wetland area.
Even though Nyarutarama citizens want to develop the lake, the whole site could have been given to the foreign investors for other activities.
Bruno Rangira the City Council of Kigali communication officer says the area where this lake is located has been given to other investors to develop it.
Rangira said that the whole area has 76 hectares of land that includes 26 hectares of dry area and 50 hectares of wetland.
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