Last week, the City of Kigali held the first Technical Advisory Group meeting to support the Master Plan Update. The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) established early this month is composed of key actors from the City of Kigali, National and Local Government, International Organizations, civil society, private sector as well as Technical and Academic Institutes from Kigali and Rwanda urban related sectors. TAG has the objective to provide expertise and knowledge to address the main challenges of the Master Plan and urban development in Kigali. Through the entire Master Plan review process, the multi-level group will provide direction and advice in the planning process.

Hon. Mayor of City of Kigali Marie Chantal Rwakazina who opened the meeting highlighted the importance of this Technical Advisory Group as a team of experts and resourceful people from different sectors and fields who are capable of giving guidance and direction to the Master Plan Update team and help coordinate implementation in respective institutions.  She stated that “TAG helps enhance the role of Kigali as a leader in urban excellence in Africa by offering best expertise, knowledge and analysis so that the ongoing review and update of the Master Plan can depict the current dynamics and be in line with other global trends and best practices”.

Enrico Morriello, Project Coordinator of the Master Plan Update Project team stated that the key role of this TAG is to identify strategies to find solutions to the Master Plan challenges and to review the progress of the update process at each relevant stage.

While responding to a question “what is in your opinion the main challenge you have observed in the implementation of the 2013 Master Plan?”, TAG experts identified some of the significant challenges related to the City on the Move, Efficient City, Green City, City of Excellence, City at Work, Creative City, City for Citizens and City of integrated Neighborhoods.  TAG’s objective is to identify possible solutions to challenges related to the overall implementation of the 2013 Master Plan in terms of strategy, raising awareness, regulations, inclusiveness, engagement of the population, infrastructure (roads, water, sanitation…) and so on.

The Technical Advisory Group nominated Edward Kyazze, Division Manager of Urbanization, Human Settlement and Housing Planning in the Ministry of Infrastructure as the TAG Chairman. He encouraged the work of TAG and its commitment and willingness to assist the City of Kigali and its citizens to make the Master Plan more inclusive; more successful. 

The second meeting will take place on Thursday, September 6^th, where the Technical Advisory Group will start to propose and analyze strategies to tackle identified issues of the 2013 Master Plan.