Kigali, Rwanda Press, June 29, 2023 – The Higher-instance court in Gasabo District has granted bail to former Mayor Stephen Rwamurangwa, Raymond Chretien Mberabahizi, Former Vice Mayor Gasabo District, Jeanne d’Arc, Nyirabihogo, former Director of One Stop Center and Jean Baptiste Bizimana, the Gasabo district Engineer.
The quartet were arrested in April this year, on suspicion of abuse of office and duty while authorizing the construction of the controversial Urukumbuzi Village Estate, commonly known as “Kwa Dubai”.
The suspects were arrested along the estate owner Jean Nsabimana, commonly known as “Dubai”.
They were accused of authorizing the construction of substandard housing units located in Murama Cell, Kinyinya Sector, Gasabo district, which came into the public spotlight after videos and photos of leaking roofs and collapsing walls circulated on social media.
According to the Gasabo Higher-instance court, the quartet were released on bail, but estate owner Jean Nsabimana will remain in prison.
The bailed officials were in office when Dubai commenced construction of the estates in 2015 after securing a contract with the Gasabo district in 2013.
According to investigation and standards reports done by the Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA) the housing units were found to be of substandard quality but officials had a hand in authorizing the construction and occupancy.
The controversial Urukumbuzi village attracted public attention after a video clip of houses falling down went viral in mid-March this year.
Occupants said that the houses from Urukumbuzi real estate were crumbling because they were not erected on a foundation, among other technical shortfalls. During the 2023 National Dialogue – Umushyikirano, the housing saga came into the spotlight after President Paul Kagame spoke about it and said that, when there is a fatality caused by poor housing, lost lives should be blamed on officials who did not follow up on the case.
