Following the plan to improve it to a secondary metropolis, Kirehe District seems to faucet into its potentials together with being a logistical hub, a significant meals producer and a vacationer attraction to show fortunes of its residents.
This statement was made by Bruno Rangira, the district mayor because the district officers have been concluding a five-day examine tour in several cities on how to make sure higher planning for a secondary metropolis.
The district officers together with its govt committee, headed by Rangira, visited Musanze as one of many secondary cities within the first section, and later the Metropolis of Kigali.
Kirehe is likely one of the three new secondary cities (Karongi, Kayonza and Kirehe) to be developed within the second section, in line with the 2020-2050 Nationwide Land Use and Growth Grasp Plan of July 2020.
On Kirehe being a logistics hub, Rangira mentioned that it’s a district that’s close to the border with Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam. As such, he mentioned, there are a lot of items that move there, together with the imported and exported ones.
“Kirehe is a gateway of imported and exported items. So, we have now a possible to be a logistics hub, particularly in that the imported items may be saved [in bonded warehouses] close to the border and the small and medium-sized businesspeople can get them from there simply,” he mentioned.
“Additionally, the businesspeople who need to export items can put together them from our district earlier than they’re taken to the Dar es Salaam port [a major port of Tanzania],” he noticed, including that there’s a have to develop a dry port close to the Rusumo border.
Below the primary section, the Authorities of Rwanda introduced the creation of six secondary cities – Rubavu, Musanze, Huye, Rusizi, Nyagatare, and Muhanga – by way of the second Financial Growth and Poverty Discount Technique (EDPRS2 which coated 2013-2018 interval).
The purpose of this transfer was to make sure a extra balanced city progress for the nation by encouraging the emergence of secondary financial poles of progress, whereas retaining the main position of Kigali.
However the 2020-2050 grasp plan made a change, indicating that the event of secondary cities can be in two phases in line with accessible capacities – 5 (Musanze, Rubavu, Rusizi, Nyagatare and Huye) within the first and three (Karongi, Kayonza and Kirehe) within the second section.
Rangira mentioned that Kirehe will begin planning as a secondary metropolis within the fiscal yr 2022-2023 – which is able to start in July subsequent yr.
On Kirehe being a breadbasket for the nation, Rangira mentioned that the district has giant irrigation initiatives and was engaged in large-scale business farming.
“We have now about 15,000 hectares with irrigation infrastructure for the cultivation of varied crops together with maize, soya and French beans such that we have now the potential for agro-processing,” he mentioned, including that the district is a significant banana producer.
“We’re going to be the nation’s breadbasket when it comes to meals provide, however we’re additionally in search of methods we are able to add worth to these diverse crop produce corresponding to by way of growing the agro-processing business,” he mentioned.
One other exercise for consideration within the district’s plans is to develop tourism.
“We have now many vacationer locations together with lakes, Akagera Valley, and Nyarubuye Plateau [near Nasho Lake] such that we’re at the moment working with RDB (Rwanda Growth Board) in order that it advises us on how we are able to develop this space,” he mentioned.
Responding to residents’ wants
Whereas some Kirehe residents have been relocating to Kigali searching for jobs and providers, Rangira mentioned that they need to successfully reply to that.
“Individuals want extra providers corresponding to faculties for youngsters, well being amenities, leisure amenities, buying locations, amongst others. Via partnership with the non-public sector, we need to be sure that such providers can be found and accessible to the individuals,” he mentioned, including that housing wants can even be catered for.
Metropolis of Kigali Mayor, Pudence Rubingisa mentioned that the Metropolis works with secondary cities concerning correct planning to make sure that the nationwide funds is put to good use to realize higher outcomes by way of the event of various elements of the nation.
“It has been realised that secondary cities assist pace up the nation’s improvement than having one space [City of Kigali] with focus of various initiatives such for infrastructure, financial system, and well being care,” observing that it isn’t vital that each one individuals come to Kigali for medical providers.
In the meantime, Rangira mentioned that the above-mentioned examine tour supposed to make the district impressed and challenged by studying from others together with in areas corresponding to city planning, how they managed to make the present progress, amongst others.
In the meantime, he mentioned that additionally they thought-about how waste administration within the metropolis may be efficient and cheaper to the inhabitants.