The road linking four districts of Northern Province; Rulindo, Gakenke, Burera and Gicumbi is being constructed in fulfillment of President Paul Kagame which he promised when he was campaigning for the first term back in 2003, according to the Province Governor Jean-Marie Vianney Gatabazi.
The 51-kilometer road is part of 125-kilometer-road linking Northern Province and Eastern Province through northern Rwanda.
IGIHE visited the construction works for Base-Gicumbi side and contractors confirmed that in the first phase, 46 out of 50 kilometers have been completed.
The phase was expected to have been completed by August 21st 2018 at a total cost of Rwf32 billion. However, Northern Province officials say that construction process encountered different challenges including heavy rains which delayed the activities and increased the budget.
Officials assure that construction works will be completed by December 2018.
Governor Gatabazi said that the road will boost transport services of Gicumbi.
“When it is completed, it will facilitate movement from Nyagatare District in East to Musanze District in North. None will need to pass through Kigali,” he said.
Gatabazi said that they cleared queries that had been raised by residents whose activities were affected by construction works.
“Some houses were relocated and residents through whose land the road passes have been compensated and whoever will be affected will also get paid,” he added.
{{People speak}}
Northern Province residents who wanted to travel from one district to another used to pass through Kigali.
Take an example of those to or from Gicumbi-Gakenke , it used to take them around a day to reach there.
For a person who used a motor-bike, transport cost to or from Gakenke—Gicumbi used to take them Rwf15.000. Currently, it has reduced to Rwf5000.
“Currently, we are using Rwf1200 in public bus to reach Byumba and takes us two hours. I believe that the time will reduce further when the road is fully completed,” said a Burera resident.
Traders in Base Centre in Gakenke District started to reap from the benefits of the road.
They say that a commercial room which was rented at Rwf20,000 today fetches Rwf40,000 currently.
{{A pledge by President Paul Kagame}}
Gatabazi said that the road was the remaining activity to be implemented among the pledges the Head of State had promised former Byumba Prefecture in 2003 presidential elections.
“I was there when President Kagame promised residents to construct this road, Kinihira Hospital, water, electricity and schools among others. Today, a majority have been done and this road is also nearing completion,” he explained.
Road users requested investors in public transport to increase the number of public service buses on the road to ease transportation.
Adele Nyirabishyimbo said that they used to walk for three hours from Ruhunde Sector of Burera District to Byumba Hospital but today it takes them thirty minutes in a bus.
The second phase construction works from Gicumbi to Nyagatare will start in 2018/2019 fiscal year, according to CHICO, a Chinese company contracted to build the road.
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