It wasn't unusual to see children playing in front of these fragile homes, causing parents to feel an instinctive fear as if their hearts had skipped a beat, worried that the walls might crumble on them at any moment.
Rainfall posed a major threat not only to the residents but also to local authorities, as it had the potential to destroy homes or even claim lives.
This persistent fear is what prompted the City of Kigali administration to commit to improving housing in the area, which lies at the entrance to the city.
The authorities came up with a plan to resettle residents in better-quality homes without displacing them. Additional housing was also built to accommodate those relocated from other life-threatening locations.
Today, after a relatively short period of construction, the area has undergone a complete transformation. The once-disparaged zone of Dobandi and similar neighbourhoods has become Ubwiza Modern Village, a new estate set to host more than 680 residents.
This village consists of 18 apartment blocks, each three storeys high (G+3), and is expected to serve as a model for affordable, modern, and environmentally friendly urban housing.
Residents of the new estate express disbelief and joy at their new living conditions, something they say they never imagined, like Umutoni Clarisse, who lives with her family of seven.
'We used to live in a terrible place that was a real threat to our lives. The houses were so weak, and when it rained, you'd go to bed unsure whether you'd wake up again. Then the government came up with this idea and built us these homes,' she said.
'We're very happy now. We are thankful to His Excellency the President of the Republic, who made this happen. We never imagined we'd live in such houses, or that we could sleep peacefully. Now, it rains and we sleep soundly throughout the night. The place we came from was awful.'
Umutesi Vestine, who received a four-bedroom house where she also runs a business, echoed the words, saying, 'The area we lived in used to put many lives in danger. There was a time when the Mpazi River overflowed and swept away a house nearby, along with a couple and all their belongings. We recovered the woman's body, but we never found the man's.'
She described how, during floods, the drainage channels would overflow and destroy homes. People couldn't dig latrines, and makeshift roofs were held in place with tyres or stones.
She also noted that the new houses matched the value of the land residents previously owned, with some receiving two or three homes, depending on what they had before.
Uwimana Denise confirmed she received two homes, one of which she now rents out for Frw 80,000 per month.
The Mayor of Kigali, Dusengiyumva Samuel, stated that this approach will be replicated in other disorganised neighbourhoods across the city and encouraged private investors to participate in this kind of development.
Photos: Nzayisingiza Fidele
IGIHE
