GITEGA July 25th (ABP) – The Governor of Gitega Province, Mr. Venant Manirambona, accompanied by the representative of the Burundian Housing Office (OBUHA), calmed the spirits of the people living in the heart of the city of Gitega (center of the country), overheated by rumors of their expropriation following the new master plan of the country’s political capital.
It was in a meeting he organized on July 22, 2022, to provide clarification on said master plan. Those rumors are unfounded, he told them, explaining that the master plan in question advocates the emergence of the political capital through sumptuous constructions and new generation roads.
You are asked to accommodate that by building from now on in height and by facilitating the task of the urbanization services, in the event of the need to widen the roads where the need arises, recommended the provincial governor.
Embracing the remarks of the previous speaker, the representative of OBUHA specified that the master plan mentioned above favors constructions of six levels in those districts which are in particular Musinzira, Shatanya and Nyabiharage, adding that constructions of ten levels are required for plots located along roads of general interest.
The aim is to make the image of a political capital attractive and to be able to accommodate many people while saving space, he said.
He added that one does not force to do all those levels in time, but rather to take it slowly, because the master plan extends over a period of 30 years.
In the neighborhoods built anarchically, he added, the OBUHA will carry out the redevelopment, specifying that compensation is provided if necessary. For more explanations, he said that from now on the OBUHA will issue the authorization to build in height exclusively.
Constructions, such as a shop or kiosk, are also prohibited in front of dwelling houses. He ended with a call for everyone to join this new construction approach.
In terms of discussions, the participants in this meeting asked questions for clarification in relation to the new master plan for the development of the political capital. Other issues related to the channeling of rainwater or that discharged into the street were mentioned. Residents downstream of neighborhoods have expressed the threats that those waters pose to their buildings.
They asked OBUHA to invest in raising awareness among the inhabitants before building sumps to remedy that. The OBUHA has already issued an injunction relating to that, said its representative, before adding that the OBUHA will rather engage in a higher gear, that of fines for offenders, he concluded. Similar meetings will be organized for residents of other neighborhoods, Governor Manirambona announced.