The construction started at the beginning of 2020. Houses will occupy 11 hectares and markets, health centers, schools, recreational spaces, and agriculture plots will occupy the rest of the land.

Rurangwa Steven, the vice mayor in charge of economic development in Nyagatare District told IGIHE that the construction will be completed by June 2020.

“Every year, we plan on building houses for low-income families but the national budget doesn’t always fit into our aspirations. This year, we have selected low-income families from Tabagwe to receive the houses.”

The families will be provided with houses, agriculture plots, and domestic animals to support them financially in their daily life.

“The entire village we are building will cost an estimated Rwf 400 to Rwf 600 million.”

Rurangwa said that Nyagatare district administration intends to put to maximum use the available land and build as many houses as possible.

Nyagatare is one of the most populous areas in the Eastern Province and in Rwanda along with Rwamagana and Kibungo. It has an estimated population of 700,000. It is also one of the 6 major cities of Rwanda selected for stimulating urban economic development, particularly outside the capital city of Kigali as key to achieving Rwanda’s strategic objective of a 35 percent urban population by 2020.

Nyagatare District administration has started construction of a model village in Tabagwe sector on 73 hectares for 64 low-income families selected from different sectors of the district.

The initiative is part of the government’s agenda to provide the vulnerable with housing in less dangerous settlements and ban thatched houses for quality habitats.