Gisenyi Market will soon be completed following Western Province Governor Francois Habitegeko interview discussion by saying that the long-awaited market will eventually be completed in the next six months.In an interview with The New Times on Wednesday, Habitegeko discussed years of controversy surrounding the market, revealing that planning permission had been granted to investors but various challenges and issues had caused significant delays.
“The building permit for Gisenyi Market was granted to the investors with the necessary support,” he said. “Now the engineers need to speed up the construction process and make sure the market is ready to move people to the new site. The goal is to complete the construction as quickly as possible,”Habitegeko further explained: “We have reached an agreement with the investors responsible for the construction of the market, which envisages a maximum completion time of six months. They assured us that they would launch the market as soon as all the necessary resources were available.”
Gisenyi Market Contractor points out Challenges Hindering The Project Completion For Traders
Pierre-Célestin Twagirayezu, president of Rubavu Investment Company (RICO), the company that won the bidding tender to build the market, says construction had difficulties due to poorly constructed foundations. The company also was forced to allocate additional funds for the expansion and the installation of an elevator. The original foundations were supposed to be 500mm deep, but investors have estimated them at 250-300mm.The completion of the contract, initially planned for 2013, was hampered by planning permission issues and other setbacks.Meanwhile, Twagirayezu announced that the company was actively in search of a Rs 1.5 billion loan to advance the remaining works with the aim of completing them within four months. Construction progress is currently at 62%.
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Local entrepreneurs such as Nina Mukasine and Jean de Paul Mucyo, 42, who work in the old market, eagerly await the completion of the new market workplace.Mukasine expressed his frustration, saying, “The current existing market is too old and has many terrible facilities, more so during the rainy season when our goods spoil quickly.” It’s a shame to work in such poor conditions when you see around that a new, unfinished marketplace lies.”The multi-million dollar Gisenyi Market project is one of many infrastructure projects under construction in the town of Rubavu, and local authorities have assured the public that the expansion is underway.
