The long-awaited new Gisenyi Market officially opened on Saturday, December 17, ending nearly 15 years of construction setbacks.

The market which is located in the town center marks a major milestone for the lakeside district’s town, reinforcing its status as one of secondary cities to Kigali as local authorities indicated.

Prudence Sebahizi, Minister of Trade and Industry, who presided over the opening ceremony, praised the collective efforts by local business people and Rubavu district that led to the project’s completion. He commended their role in elevating the town’s image.

“It is good to see this nearly 15-year project finally completed after many years of delays,” Sebahizi said in his remarks during the opening. “It adds great value to the district’s ongoing development as a tourism and business town, supporting cross-border trade, as well.”

According to Pierre Célestin Twagirayezu, the Chairperson of Rubavu Investment Company (RICO), which holds a 45 percent of the total market’s shares and took over the project’s completion, finalizing the market is a major milestone in the development of Rubavu Town which keeps glowing.

“We made it. This is a great achievement for RICO,” Twagirayezu added, explaining that the second phase of the project will begin soon. “It was a stalled building that remained incomplete for many years.”

Local traders have also welcomed the development like Alice Uwinkamiye, 33, expressed relief, noting that the old market exposed traders to harsh sunlight and rain, often damaging their goods.

“Our goods were exposed to direct sunlight, and rain was a challenge because the old market is outdated,” she said, adding that the new facility aligns with the town’s development vision.

The newly inaugurated Gisenyi Market, according to the management, has the capacity to accommodate up to 1,500 traders and was completed at a cost of nearly Rwf 6 billion.