By Peter Kamasa
World football ruling body, FIFA, has urged the Rwanda Football Federation (Ferwafa) to ensure the immediate start of the construction of the hotel which FIFA will finance at a tune of $3 million (about Rwf3 billion).
Talking to Times Sport on Monday, Ferwafa president Vincent Nzamwita said that construction of the four-star hotel, worth Rwf4 billion, will commence next month. FIFA will provide $3 million while the other money will be raised from other partners.
“We are working hard to get everything needed to start the construction. I think in the next one month we will be in good position to start work,” Nzamwita told this paper.
He added that, “Football development and building the hotel are some of the issues that I discussed with FIFA president Gianni Infantino. He requested that we start the construction of the hotel as soon as possible.”
Nzamwita admitted that, when completed, the hotel is expected to reduce the expenses for the national teams during residential training camps or accommodation for visiting national teams.
The Former APR FC secretary general further revealed that Ferwafa is also expected to use the hotel for commercial purposes to generate income for different football development activities.
Nzamwita says that $1 million has already been allocated for the first phase of the hotel construction. The hotel will be built in four phases and the first phase will include construction of 40 of the planned total of 88 rooms.
The hotel is part of the FIFA Goal project development programme aimed at helping developing countries to establish infrastructure and facilities to boost the growth of the game.
The planned hotel has already caused trouble for some officials including Nzamwita, former FERWAFA secretary general Olivier Mulindahabi and a consultant, Eng. Adolphe Muhirwa, who were accused of alleged malpractices linked to the tender for the hotel construction.
While Nzamwita was cleared of any charges, Mulindahabi and Muhirwa were each handed a six-month jail term for mishandling the project. The two men were jailed in February and completed their jail term on August 8.