The government of Rwanda through developers have announced that construction of modern housing in Busanza area is currently at 20%.
The housing project comprises of over 1,000 units and is being undertaken by Savannah Creek Development Company for residents of the slum area that is condescendingly referred to as Bannyahe, in Remera Sector.
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Housing challenges
The project is estimated to cost US $11m and will benefit residents from Kigali’s largest slum that covers three villages of Kangondo I, Kangondo II and Kibiraro. Speaking while visiting the site as part of her initiative to inspect affordable housing in the city, Kigali City Mayor, Marie-Chantal Rwakazina said the project was a good opportunity for city residents to be able to address housing challenges.
“It’s a good project; it will have good housing units that will have all the amenities that any Kigali resident would need in terms of settling. That is given the strength of buildings that will be here and the excellent place where the plot is located because it has a great view,” said Mayor Marie.
City businessman Denis Karera, who launched construction works of the Busanza estate in April, said the estate will make a difference for the residents who are currently living in a high risk area in unplanned settlements and in total conflict with the city’s master plan.
Modern housing units in exchange of slum houses
Karera is the Chairperson of Gold Capital Investments, a Kigali-based company that has partnered with a Finnish company, Taaleri Africa, to create Savannah Creek Development Company.
Taaleri has planned to invest US $56 m to develop the Bannyahe slum into a decent residential estate. Out of the US $56m, US $12m will be invested in building housing units in Busanza for former slum residents in exchange for their expropriated properties.
The estate in Busanza will have amenities such as playing areas, a modern market, a workshop hall, as well as a central sewerage system.
The entire Bannyahe slum will be replaced by a modern residential estate, however, Karera and his partners want to mitigate the possible creation of another slum. He said residents will be invited to start settling in the estate as soon as the housing units are completed, and will swap their current homes in the slum for the new housing units in the estate.
At least 300 units will have been completed by the end of the year, while the rest of the units will be completed by June 2019.
