Nyamasheke Launches Construction of 21-Kilometer Road to Connect Three Isolated Sectors

The Nyamasheke District administration has begun construction of the 21-kilometer Bushenge-Shangi-Nyabitekeri road, a long-awaited project aimed at easing transportation, boosting trade, and ending the isolation of residents in three sectors along Lake Kivu.

Bushenge, Shangi, and Nyabitekeri are among ten sectors in Nyamasheke District that border Lake Kivu and have long struggled with poor accessibility due to the deteriorated road linking them to the main Kivu asphalt route.

Local residents have welcomed the project, hoping it will ease their daily travel and reduce transportation costs.Dan Nkurunziza, a project manager working in Nyabitekeri Sector, told IGIHE that residents currently pay as much as 16,000 Rwandan francs for a round trip to nearby areas.

“We are happy that this road is finally under construction-it will reduce travel costs. Once completed, public transport vehicles that stopped operating here will return, and residents will no longer be cut off,” Nkurunziza said.

The road is also expected to improve access to Bushenge Hospital, which serves the three sectors. Previously, heavy rains often made it impossible to transport patients, as the road became impassable during the rainy season.

Nyamasheke District Mayor, Mupenzi Narcisse, confirmed that construction is underway, with three contractors assigned to accelerate the project.

“The road, which runs from Bushenge Hospital to Nyamirundi, will be built as a feeder road with strong foundations, bridges, and drainage systems,” Mupenzi said. “It will facilitate communication, improve trade, and enhance agricultural productivity.”

The mayor added that upon completion, the road is expected to significantly boost local economic activity by easing the transport of agricultural produce to the main Kivu asphalt road.

The project is scheduled to be completed within one year and eight months at a total cost of over 8 billion Rwandan francs.