Residents in remote villages have raised red flag over lack of roads to connect them with other parts of the country.

According to residents who spoke to Rwanda Today, lack of roads has affected development in the areas as trucks cannot access sites. Areas with most dilapidated roads are Nyabinoni and parts of Rongi and Kibangu sectors in the northwest of Muhanga district and parts of the western province along the Nyabarongo River.

“Our remoteness is based on a lack of basic infrastructures, a road connecting us with other parts of the country, which are undermining our development strides,” said Charles Munyaneza, a resident of Nyanza Village in Muvumba cell of Nyabinoni sector in Muhanga district.

A section of residents from far-flung areas of southern and western parts of the country say roads connecting the areas with other parts top the list of basic infrastructures that they are longing for.

“Due to the roads cut off that have been connecting Nduga areas and the rest parts of the country, a plan of building classrooms at Ngaru Primary School have been shelved because trucks couldn’t find a way to the site,” he added.

According to the residents in the areas, they barely go to the district office, which requires them to go through the northern province then Kigali city to go back in the Southern Province.

With dilapidated roads circumstances, which has been aggravated by the recent flooding washed away bridges, the region has been cut off from the administrative services.

“We used to have buses coming from Muhanga town where we used to pay Rwf2, 500 to get to the district but they are no longer coming due to dire conditions of the roads and the fact that the bridges have been collapsed as a result of the recent flooding,” said Jean Bosco Tubanyembazi, a resident of Nyamure village of Nyabinoni sector in Muhanga district.

“Nowadays the nearest places you can find a bus is in Musanze town or Ngororero districts, the buses that will take you to Kigali city where then you can get a bus to the district offices,” said Tubanyembazi.

“Otherwise, it can take me two nights to get to the district office on foot,” he added. People in the area hardly access services provided at the district level due to lack of transport fares for most poverty-stricken families in the remote areas.

On top of the remoteness of the areas, the residents have consistently cried out for access to clean water and electricity.

“We drink untreated water that we normally draw from Nyabarongo river,” said Angelique Nyinawabega, a resident of Muvumba cell.