As part of its socio-economic development efforts, the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) has facilitated the Kicukiro Steel and Wood Cooperative (KSWC) to set up their own workshops and showrooms, better known in Kinyarwanda as ‘Agakiriro market’’ in Kicukiro district.
According to BRD, the project is another significant step in implementing the City of Kigali’s Master Plan which shows that every district must have one wood and steel market.
The markets have socio-economic benefits of putting together vendors of steel, wood and other related businesses, to sell their products to a wider market segment while at the same time providing an opportunity for students of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) schools to put their skills into good use and earn from them.
Claudien Uwanyirigira, the President of the cooperative told Hope Magazine during a site-visit by the Chief Executive Officer of BRD last month that the idea of building the modern hardware market was born out of the 72 cooperative members’ ambition to expand their market.
“We bought a piece of land at Rwf 108 million and started constructing the market. When we approached BRD and explained to them the project, they were very supportive and immediately embarked on it,” he explained.
BRD financed the project to a tune of Rwf 940 million for buildings that will house steel and wood workshops, shops for hardware as well as show rooms. It will also have a craft training centre where youth will be equipped with handicraft skills.
The facility is characterised by; the main building, individual business block, three blocks of wood works, one block for steel works, two restaurants and two sanitary blocks.
Socio-economic impact of the project
BRD believes that given infrastructure development is the fourth priority under Rwanda’s Second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS 2), more urbanization and creation of secondary cities will further take place.
Kanyankole noted during the visit that thanks to the new market, construction and real estate companies will be able to access materials for construction much more easily.
Another benefit to it is that the market will facilitate the government to collect more taxes on sales from items sold by the cooperative members.
In addition, the facility will lead to the creation of businesses and employment opportunities to Rwandans especially youths with an expected 15 permanent staff earning annual net salaries of more than Rwf 12 million, over 100 casual labors involved in construction with wages of over Rwf 80 million and over 200 individuals who will be working in the workshops.
The market which will be officially opened in March, already has vendors working from there. Esperance Kabanyana, one of the members who have started selling wood products in the new facility said she has huge prospects for her business to grow.
“I expect to make big sales in the coming days as more people become aware of this market. BRD has really helped us to grow,” she noted.
Meanwhile, there is a second phase to the project which will be the construction of a 4-floor commercial building worth Rwf1.2 Billion. BRD is ready to finance it.
The market is located in an area that is booming with many construction projects in Gahanga, Kicukiro District some of which are already operational such as Master Steel Ltd and Plastic making factory), residential houses and the proposed new stadium (Gahanga Stadia) and the Bugesera Airport.
