Burundi and Rwanda awarded road grant

Burundi and Rwanda of Central and Eastern Africa have received a US$ 150 million grant from the African Development Bank (ADB) to finance the Nyamitanga-Ruhwa-Ntendezi-Mwityazo road project.

As part of the project, Burundi and Rwanda have defined a program to facilitate transport on the Mugina-Bujumbura-Nyamitanga-Ruhwa-Ntendezi-Mwityazo-Gisenyi transport corridor, linking Burundi to Rwanda and Tanzania.

The road, which will be implemented in phases, is 497.5 km long. The Nyamitanga-Ruhwa-Ntendezi-Mwityazo road project covers construction of 101 km of road and related works. The project also includes the building and equipping of a Single Border Control Post (SBCP).

The project aims to enable the movement of goods and people along the Nyamitanga-Ruhwa-Ntendezi-Mwityazo road, and to improve the living conditions of the area’s inhabitants. An estimated 3.2 million inhabitants (17% of the populations of Burundi and Rwanda) should benefit from the infrastructure program.

“It is anticipated that this project will help to strengthen cooperation between the countries of the East African Community (EAC) in general, and between Burundi and Rwanda in particular, as well as to an increase in intercommunity trade,” said an ADB spokesperson.