(Ecofin Agency) - The Kigali green city project will receive €9.6 million from the German development agency KfW. The project will be launched in Kinyinya, a town located in the district of Gasabo. It will cover a total of 620 ha and includes 1,749 housing units that will be built over 18 ha. 

The facilities will be powered by renewable resources such as solar energy. They will be connected to a wastewater and rainwater collection and treatment system that allows the reuse of the treated product. 

The project also includes the construction of offices for companies active in green innovation. 

“Housing in the green city of Kigali will be affordable. The project aims to demonstrate that green building is a necessity, not a luxury, by working to change the stereotype that sustainability is expensive. Living in resource-efficient housing will significantly reduce electricity and water bills for a population that often spends up to 20% of its income on utilities,” the government said on the project’s platform.

The Kigali green city project requires a total of €1.3 billion. Germany plans to grant an additional €20 million for the scheme. 

Gwladys Johnson Akinocho