On the occasion of the launch of this new master plan which will define the city of Kigali over the next 30 years, the city of Kigali has placed more emphasis on the impact of the implementation of the master plan on living conditions of city dwellers.
Therefore, We put together the basic information that anyone looking for housing or property for business or investment purposes would like to know about this new Master Plan (2020-2050)
A master plan is a long-term, progressive planning document that executes a conceptual arrangement to guide future growth and development of a specific area. It includes analyzes, recommendations and proposals concerning the population, economy, housing, transport, community facilities and land use of that area.
Dr Ernest Nsabimana, vice-mayor of the city in charge of urbanization and infrastructure declared that: “This new master-plan will accommodate for a projection of 3.8 million inhabitants and we take into account the individual income aspect to enable everyone to live and work in the city"
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This means that both commercial and residential properties will be classified according to the levels where high-rise, low and middle income homes will be located in different areas.
And each classified level will be developed with essential service facilities (such as workplaces, shopping malls, restaurants and entertainment venues) nearby, in order to reduce human traffic which, over the past ten years, was caused by the dispersion of services and an increase in population
The master plan for the city of Kigali is in line with Rwanda's new land use policy which aims to ensure efficient use and allocation of land in the city and in the country in general.
Kigali city planners assessed the financial capacity of the residents of Kigali city and found that 58% of Kigali's 1.6 million residents have low income earning less than Rwf 100,000 per month., they therefore proposed different solutions for the master plan to integrate affordable housing, to which the government will also inject funds into such projects to ensure housing for low-income people.
"The choice is that low-income people can rent houses at affordable prices, while others can get bank loans to buy or build their own houses at an affordable cost and gradually improve their houses in slums." Said by Marie Solange Muhirwa, City of Kigali’s Chief of Urban Planning
This new master plan will allow the slums on the hilly areas to be upgraded (with a permit) for people to reside in safe and smart buildings on the slope area where the appropriate building regulations in the hilly areas will be applied.
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The Vice Mayor of Kigali City in charge of Urbanization and Infrastructure, Ernest Nsabimana, highlighted the main changes in this new plan which we believe can help you if you are about to buy/rent or take care your properties:
- Unlike the previous master plan, this new master plan enabled flexibility where a building can be used for different purposes.
- For optimal use of land, protected agricultural land has decreased from 66.8% to 55% while developed areas will increase from 32% to 45% as the growing population will need infrastructure and housing.
- This master plan will also enable small businesses to have small offices in residential areas where people can occupy them without having to rent large buildings.
- For your transport, the new masterplan has allowed the use of integrated routes where ring roads and rapid bus systems, pedestrian roads and cycle paths will have to be built.
- If you want to buy and renovate, this new master plan is way more flexible for affordable residential houses and will also improve unplanned settlements without displacing residents.
The mayor of Kigali, Pudence Rubingisa, called on the residents to be proactive in implementing the plan which he referred to as citizen-centered.
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