Gasabo: Stalled bridge project at Kagara’s big gully, a concern for passengers’ lives

By Elias Hakizimana.

The bridge that was supposed to be built at Kagara gully in Nyabisindu cell, Remera Sector in Gasabo district, has been an oral project for a year now. Users of the Makutano-Nyabisindu bifurcated road, are worried that children will fall into this big hole.

The concern of residents is related to the heavy rains that have been claiming lives all over the city of Kigali. Children, including kindergartens students are the ones who are in the most danger, because they pass through this street every day when going and coming from schools.

Kagara’s gully is located in the village of Amarembo I, Nyabisindu cell, on the road down Gishushu, connecting to Nyabisindu-Controle technique tarmac road and very close to the large ‘Makutano’ buildings under construction.

This gully is wide (about 8 meters of large) and (about 6 meters deep), where passengers pass through a small timber, which stretches over the hole near the fence of the Makutano buildings.

This road is frequently used by children who go to schools around Gasabo District, those who go to fetch water from Kagara wetland and adults who move for work.

Around 6:30 in the morning, on Friday, November 18, 2022, when The Inspirer reporter arrived at this area, he spoke to the flow of passengers and residents who expressed a concern that their children can fall into the gully the bridge is not constructed.

Rudasingwa Anaclet,47, lives in Nyabisindu cell and uses this road every day when he goes to work at Gishushu. He says that if nothing is done to build the bridge over this gully, the lives of many people would be in danger.

“The worry is not only for children who use the road when going and coming from schools, but also adults are afraid to pass by, our children can die of accidents caused by this gully during rainfall that is claiming lives around the city. The problem is that this is the only street we have, it is bad to wait for late interventions after the bad news that people died of the gully accident!!!”

Elvis Rukundo, 14 years old, studies in primary 5 at Kibagabaga. The child, when he was carrying  jerrycan of water from the nearby water canal in the morning, told The Inspirer that he is afraid of the gully. It requires a passenger to pass through three timbers leaning on the fence closest to the hole, before climbing on another small timber on the main gully.

“When I pass through here, I’m afraid of that I can fall into this wide-open gully, and this is the only street we have. I request concerned people and entities to build a bridge for us so that we can cross without fears.”

Olivier, 9 years old, also studies at Kibagabaga. He says that sometimes he returns back home when it rains, as the timber on the gully becomes slippery.

“Because people pass frequently on the timber over this gully with mad, I fear to fall into the hallway and I turn back home,” he said.

Concerns about preschoolers who pass through the wide-open gully

Egidia Uwase, 20, a house made in Amarembo I village, Nyabisindu Cell, Remera Sector uses this road when accompanying kindergarten children to school. She points out that the wide-open gully without a bridge is a concern for the lives of passengers.

“I don’t have any other choice because we don’t have any other path to use, I go through this road every day as I must accompany kids to and from school, I have to pass with one first, then come back to pick another, just because it is impossible to cross the gully with both of them at once, don’t you see how wide and deep is this gully? Uwase notes.

Anne Marie Mushimiyimana, one of the parents whose children use this road, says that there is need for quick interventions to build a bridge on the gully to avoid bad news, especially during the rainy season.

“Sometimes we accompany children to school before going to work, the gully is very terrible.” She says.

Deo Rugabirwa, Executive Secretary of Remera sector, says the road will be considered among other infrastructures the city of Kigali has planned to build.

“There are road works planned over there in collaboration with the city of Kigali, which will also be considered following available financial capacity, we know that rainwater is really a concern for infrastructures, that road is under existing planification,” Rugabirwa says.

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