The City of Kigali explains why community-funded road work is taking longer than expected.

The City of Kigali responded to the Parliamentary Committee on Governance and Gender Affairs regarding the delays in road building, which is largely financed by local citizens in different neighborhoods.
MPs pointed out that under the subsidized Neighborhood Roads Program, residents had raised 30% of the money required to build tarmac roads in their neighborhoods; however, the city withheld the other 70% of the cash, so the roads remained unbuilt.
According to MP Phoebe Kanyange, several residents were curious about the program’s fate and if they would need a refund.
Samuel Dusengiyumva, the mayor of the city of Kigali, informed lawmakers that the subsidized program, which was started to help build the city’s road infrastructure, was still in operation.
However, he stated that due to financial limitations, the city would not be able to construct all of the planned roadways simultaneously.
We are currently building roads in various locations throughout the city as part of the subsidized initiative, which began two years ago. Financial limitations prevented the City of Kigali’s budget from meeting all expectations, which was a significant obstacle at the start of the project, according to Dusengiyumva.
“Therefore, we decided to prioritize building existing tarmac roads before pursuing new roads under the subsidized neighborhood roads program,” he continued.
Dusengiyumva told the committee that work was already underway on 18 neighborhood roads totaling 15.2 kilometers in length, spread among the three districts of the City of Kigali. Additionally, he said that plans are in place to increase the road network, contingent on funding availability.
Dusengiyumva went on to say that the funded program necessitates openness in determining which villages most urgently require roads and making sure they fulfill the requirements. Additionally, he praised residents who are prepared to take the initiative to build roads in their communities.
Some of our residents are already willing to build asphalt roads on their own; all they require from us is technical know-how and road measurement guidelines. They come to us looking for the prerequisites they need to start building independently,” he said.
He clarified, though, that this has no bearing on the neighborhood roadways program’s subsidies.
“As the program is heavily reliant on the fiscal year budget, we are actively working on methods to strengthen it. As of right now, the district councils are reviewing the new regulations that we have implemented. Once authorized, they will be shared,” he said.
The City of Kigali reports that the fiscal year 2023–2024 saw the completion of 13 asphalt roads totaling around 46 kilometers, including more than 13 kilometers of neighborhood roads built in collaboration with city dwellers.