The Institution of Engineers Rwanda (IER), a society of professional engineers, has decried their limited involvement in the process of monitoring housing construction works, yet they would play a role in bringing ‘sanity’ to the sector.

Speaking to The New Times, IER’s Executive Secretary, Steven Sabiti, pointed out that the construction sector is affected by substandard works, many of which are connected to weaknesses in monitoring and inspection.

“Issuing a construction permit is one thing, but verifying that whatever was written in the construction documents is being adhered to, is another. I think we have gaps in the process of monitoring the implementation of construction works,” he said.

Though the City of Kigali has its team of inspectors, Sabiti says the inspection work should be a collaborative effort, with the IER at its helm.

“For example, look at ‘Kwa Dubai estate.’ There was no civil engineer involved in the construction, yet the law says all construction activities are supposed to be done by registered professionals. We think we are not involved enough to bring sanity to the construction sector,” he said.

“As an institution, we have professionals who can go and verify whether what is being constructed is being led by registered members. There are structures that are not even constructed by registered and compliant engineers. If the general public can understand that all construction work is supposed to be done by a registered and compliant engineer, this can solve a lot of problems,” he added.

He complained about the quality of housing that some real estate developers are bringing to the sector, saying “it is worrying.”

“I believe a collaborative mechanism between the authorities and EIR would bring sanity,” he said.

The real estate sector is a crucial sector and a potential driver of future economic growth, yet it is facing challenges not only in quality but also investment. According to a 2022 study, Kigali City alone needs 310,000 new housing units by 2032 or around 20,700 units every year. However, less than 1,000 housing units are supplied every year. - Hudson Kuteesa, The New Times

 Devastating flash floods and mudslides are feared to have killed more than 200 children with another 90 children separated from their families or with their parents feared dead in the province of South Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters, Save the Children said.

Over the past week, floods have killed about 410 people, half of them children, including at least 30 students and 6 schoolteachers. More than 5,500 people are still missing. An estimated 3,000 homes have been destroyed and six schools washed away. 

The province of South Kivu is going through its worst food crisis in a generation and has been affected by armed conflicts and violence for several years, as well as outbreaks of cholera and measles. At least 1.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in South Kivu, where 20% of the population is internally displaced. 

Cecilia Thiam, Save the Children’s Humanitarian Director in the DRC, said that erratic rain patterns including flooding have become more common in recent years due to the climate crisis.

“The floods have had a devastating impact on communities in South Kivu. We are deeply concerned for the safety and wellbeing of the children affected, including those who have tragically lost parents or who remain unaccompanied and separated from their families”.

She said thousands of homes have been destroyed by the torrential rains and many key roads cut by mudslides, which was hampering the delivery of desperately needed aid. Save the Children has despatched emergency response teams to the affected areas to support government operations and is setting up two temporary learning spaces with school canteens to ensure that children don’t stop going to school. 

“This past week’s tragic floods show once again that the world’s most vulnerable communities are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. Preparation and adaptation for such extreme weather events must be made a priority,” said Thiam.

In addition to setting up temporary learning spaces, Save the Children is supporting communities affected by the floods by providing medical supplies to health clinics, as well as a combined 3,500 medical, sanitation, cholera and menstrual health management and education kits.

Over 26.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in the DRC – or about one in every four of the population - including 14.2 million children.

Save the Children has worked in the DRC since 1994 to meet humanitarian needs linked to the displacement of populations due to armed conflict in eastern provinces, especially in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri and Kasai-Oriental and Lomami in the centre of the country.

Former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga has claimed that contingents of police raided his homes in Nyandarua and Nairobi on Friday morning over unclear reasons. 

Speaking to the media, Njenga said that the police teams arrived at his Nyandarua, Karen and Lavington homes simultaneously at 4 am and told his workers they were looking for him. 

“They said they were looking for me. I do not know why but I see it as politics and harassment, which should stop,” he said.

Njega linked the raids to the burial of Dedan Kimathi’s widow Mukami Kimathi on Saturday May 13 which is set to be graced by President William Ruto and Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga.

He claimed that the police raid is part of efforts by the government to stop him from attending the funeral.

“I was at the home of Kimathi on Thursday and told the family we will come with baba and I think this is the reason they are doing this. It is a funeral and let it be,” he added.

Njenga who has gone into hiding asked the police to stop harassing him and they release his workers. 

“What have they done? What have I done? They can send summons to me if they want me but not raid homes and harass innocent people,” he said. 

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua last week announced that President Ruto would grace the burial of the late Mukami in Nyandarua. 

“The President has directed that the government take over the burial preparations of Mukami to give her a decent send-off. Ruto himself has promised he will lead the nation on that day as we bury our freedom fighter,” Gachagua remarked.

Raila also announced that he would not miss to attend Mukami’s funeral saying they were close.

“I cannot miss the funeral of Shujaa Mama Mukami wa Kimathi. We have been very close and I will be in Njabini for her final ceremony on earth,” said Raila. By Ezra Nyakundi, KDRTV