Kigali, 16 September 2020: The contract for rehabilitation and widening works of the 53 km Huye – Kitabi road project was signed between Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA) and China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) on 13^th March 2017 and service order issued on 25^th April 2017 marking commencement of works with the additional works of upgrading Huye – Gisagara (13.8km), Nyamagabe – Murambi (2.8km) and protection against huge landslide in Nyamagabe town.

The total cost for rehabilitation and widening works worth RwF 29,788,197,622 comes from the joint funding of Government of Rwanda,  Banque Arabe pour le Développement Économique en Afrique (BADEA), OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and Saudi Fund for Development (SFD).

“This is a concessional loan repayable in 30 years with a 10-year grace period and an interest rate of one per cent,” said Minister Gatete during the signing ceremony.

He added that since the road connects two borders, it is expected to boost cross-border trade as well as provide access to production zones and markets, especially for agricultural products.

“Once this road is completed, it will foster socio-economic development particularly through the development of agriculture and tourism,” Gatete said.

The overall project physical progress of this road is estimated to be 100% completion. It connects Huye, Nyamagabe, Rusizi and Nyamasheke districts in both the Western and Southern provinces and links Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. The remaining works include the evaluation of corrected defects, rehabilitated borrow pits and dumping sites as well as addressing outstanding expropriation claims received from local residents prior provisional handover expected to take place towards the end of September 2020.