The modern market was built in Kibeho Sector, Nyaruguru District by Aimable Nzizera, a private entrepreneur contracted by Nyaruguru District after winning a tender to build it at a cost of Rwf840,193,410.
It is said Aimable Nzizera has disappeared with wages for 120 people who worked during the construction of the market, with work completed worth Rwf529,493,460 of the total tender.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that he may be detained.
Some workers who worked at the site who talked to IGIHE say they have approached the District officials who promised to pay them but nothing was done since last December.
Valentine Musabyemariya says she stopped working her gardens to offer her labor at the site, expecting to get more income. She says she would wake up at 3 a.m to get to the construction site on time. She is owed Rwf32,000.
“When the construction of the market stopped, I was owed Rwf32,000. Living far from the construction site, we used to wake up at 3 a.m, so as to get to the site early. We had stopped our daily agriculture works hoping to earn more money,” says Musabyemariya.
The Vice Mayor in Charge of Economic Affairs in Nyaruguru District, Janvier Gashema says the contractor disappeared when construction works were incomplete but the District is looking for ways of paying the workers.
“That contractor owes money to many people mostly those who supplied him with construction materials. He has problems with so many people but we just want to resolve our people’s issue,” said Gashema.
“I requested leaders of Kibeho Sector to call for a meeting with those who are owed debts so as to know the amount of money he owes them,” adds Gashema.
He says the contractor was paid money equal to the works he had completed with nothing left to compensate the workers.
Nyaruguru District Market was scheduled to be completed early 2018.
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