{"id":120883,"date":"2026-03-17T14:26:04","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T14:26:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/new-tarmac-road-boosts-healthcare-and-business-access"},"modified":"2026-03-17T14:26:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T14:26:04","slug":"new-tarmac-road-boosts-healthcare-and-business-access","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/photo\/new-tarmac-road-boosts-healthcare-and-business-access","title":{"rendered":"New Tarmac Road Boosts Healthcare and Business Access"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>Residents in Karongi District say improved connectivity between local communities and the Kiziba refugee camp, the oldest camp in Rwanda, has made it easier for pregnant women from remote areas to reach Kibuye District Hospital.<\/p>\n

Franc\u0327oise Dorumwana, 32, is among many women who experienced the poor state of the road before it was upgraded in 2024. She recalls traveling long distances to Kibuye District Hospital in Karongi town under difficult conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ambulance used to move from side to side trying to avoid potholes,\u201d she recalled. \u201cIt was a challenging journey for pregnant women, and we feared we could die because of the bad road.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 14.5-kilometre road, built at a cost of Rwf17 billion, has also contributed to business growth and increased economic activity in the more than 30-year-old Congolese refugee camp, which hosts over 14,000 refugees.<\/p>\n

Residents such as Abel Nsengamungu, 45, a father of five, and Aline Nyirarukundo, 30, a mother of two, say the road has improved their daily lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cTraveling from the camp to Kigali and other parts of the country used to be very difficult. Now look at this tarmac road\u2014few countries would think about refugees the way Rwanda does,\u201d said the camp head, adding that refugee-run businesses now receive goods on time.<\/p>\n

Karongi District Mayor Gerald Muzungu highlighted the road\u2019s broader benefits.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has eased the movement of people, both refugees and Rwandans, linking them to Karongi town,\u201d the mayor said. \u201cThis has improved business by reducing motorcycle transport fares from two thousand francs to one thousand.\u201d<\/p>\n

He noted that transporting pregnant women used to be a major challenge, as ambulances struggled to move on the old road, affecting patients who needed to be transferred to Kibuye District Hospital.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow the road is in good condition, and there are no cases of women getting complications during delivery due to transportation delays,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Frank Ngoga, who is in charge of the Socio-Economic Inclusion of Refugees and Host Community Project (Jya Mbere Project) at the Ministry in charge of Emergency Management, said the construction of the Kibuye\u2013Kiziba road was initiated to support both Kiziba refugee camp and the host community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is part of the government\u2019s efforts to promote social inclusion between refugees and host communities in Rwanda,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe road links schools, markets, hospitals, and other sectors of the local economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franc\u0327oise Dorumwana, a resident of Karongi says the new road makes it easier for pregnant women to get to hospital without any complications.\r\n