January 12, 2024
Our city fathers/mothers, what gives? I see one of you getting a tongue-lash, the riot act being read to them, if any of these hasn’t been visited on them already! Putting hurried patch-ups anywhere on the streets of Kigali? Nay, this has never been among our government’s methods of work.
The last time I saw patch-ups like these was in the 1990s when our penniless Government of National Unity was struggling to function. But in the Rwanda of today? Nada!
Still, here we are, with them as we speak. Patch-ups on some streets of Kigali that were apparently made in preparation for the visit by the king of Jordan from last Sunday, January 7. Small ones, to be fair, because there hadn’t been any potholes anywhere. That means, therefore, that somehow the ground under the street had given in slightly, attracting some puddles in the resultant depressions.
The indication would no doubt be that there was a structural fault in the road construction.
So, Kigali City Council (KCC), have you given your own tongue-lash and read your own riot act to the contracting engineers responsible for those faults?
Of course, we exaggerate. The patch-ups are hardly visible. It’s only that, given the high standards that we have come to expect from KCC in regard to the strength, order and cleanliness of our streets, we are always keen-eyed to catch them at fault!
Otherwise, we fondly remember when the city council gave us a pleasant surprise.
One Friday we left the overly congested streets alone for the weekend after having had it up to here, what with the increasing volume of visitors that constantly disrupted the erstwhile smooth flow of drives and walks around Kimihurura and the airport. Unfortunately, as Monday came, all had to flock back to work. But what did they find? Two long detours, one around Kigali Convention Centre and another, around the airport, complete with their three roundabouts. And, boy, what scenic views!
The bigger surprise, though, was that the contractor turned out to be our very own Rwandan company. And so the more pain that the company should disappoint. A road that was built in 2016 – or thereabouts – should be going strong if it’s of the right quality. If otherwise, then all the stretches that the company ever built, if still strong, should be covered with another carpet of tarmac, if weak, redone all over again.
We are for our acquired status quo. This far, we have noticed that everywhere in the country, it’s business as usual, as far as streets, roads and buildings lining them are concerned, when a prominent visit or event is expected. There is no frenzied activity of repairs and new coats of paint just because important people or big events are expected, as happens in practically all other African countries.
Here, all is always set and ready to host any occasion.
Of course, wear and tear take their toll on roads and buildings all the time and routine repairing and repainting are normal. However, these kinds of spruce-ups will not necessarily fall due within the time of these visits or events. Which is why you’ll be surprised to see the repairing and repainting bustle after the fact; after those visitors are gone or events are concluded.
It renders us buoyant, for sure, when we see that we are not among those who sweep their dirt under the carpet until visitors have left.
As if they are saying: “We are fine with dirt, our cleanliness standards are low; we only clean-up for the visitors”.
That’s not for this land. Here, what’s good for the goose (visitor) is good for the gander (citizen), no misogyny implied. Rwanda is always at her best; no pretences; no impressions.
And KCC has espoused this ethos to the hilt – hoping that espousing that won’t make it bite off more than it can chew! I refer to the pledge it has made to Kigalois in their residential estates.
You see, in many estates of Kigali, residents, as proud owners of their own development generally, usually come together and fundraise to cover their streets with asphalt. Many have done a first-rate job of it and have even provided them with lighting but many more have only afforded a shoddy job of it. And so, seeking to harmonise the streets of this city, KCC has stepped in to meet the latter residents further than halfway.
If residents can fundraise and make the down-payment of 30% of the cost, KCC will not only provide 70% but will throw in the know-how to make well-lit streets with proper drainage and walkways. If that’s not an elephantine order, show me what is! Will the city council make good on that promise? Kigalois of goodwill are down on their knees.
Because many estate residents, seeing this as a golden opportunity, have jumped at the proposal with unreserved zeal. Many residential representatives are thus flocking to the city to hand in the down payment. However, where it has responded, its contractors have only levelled the street grounds, dug up what are to be culverts and, at the maximum, piled up stones to build the culverts.
But take heart, residents. KCC has never wallowed in ostentations.
