Ruyigi : demolition of kiosks threatens to ruin small traders

SOS Médias Burundi

Ruyigi, October 23, 2026 — The demolition of kiosks and points of sale at Ruyigi Market, in Ruyigi district, Buhumuza province, eastern Burundi, is causing concern among small traders. Launched on September 16, the operation aims, according to the district administration, to prevent fires and facilitate access for firefighters. The traders concerned, however, fear losing their main source of income and no longer being able to repay the loans contracted to finance their activities.

The operation particularly affects palm oil and cotton sellers, food sellers, fruit and vegetable sellers as well as tailors who use irons in their workshops.

In the alleys of the market, the concerned traders say they do not understand why their kiosks are being demolished while they claim to have obtained permission from the services in charge of the market management to occupy the concerned spaces. Some even indicate holding administrative documents attesting that they had settled there legally.

They believe that an additional deadline should have been granted to them before the launch of the operation. Several explain having recently devoted much of their capital to tuition-related expenses and replenishing their stocks. Others have taken out loans from local banks to finance their operations.

Police officers during a visit to the Ruyigi market to force the owners of the shops concerned to proceed with the demolitions, in the province of Buhumuza, in eastern Burundi (SOS Médias Burundi)

The demolition of their facilities now compromises, they say, their ability to continue their activities and honor their financial commitments. They fear, in particular, that a move out of the market will deprive them of some of their clientele and result in a significant drop in their revenues.

Faced with these concerns, the district administration defends a measure it describes as indispensable to fire prevention and market reorganization. The district administrator of Ruyigi, Diane Niyibitanga, says that the decision was taken in consultation with the representatives of the traders.

According to her, certain goods and activities present risks in the event of a fire, while access roads must remain cleared to allow fire trucks to reach the affected areas quickly. She also submitted that the traders had been informed of the measure about three months before the commencement of the demolitions.

Diane Niyibitanga warns that those who oppose the operation could be sanctioned. The measures envisaged include, in particular, the reimbursement of the costs incurred for the demolition, administrative fines and, in case of refusal to comply or rebellion, possible legal proceedings. Police officials at the district level affirm, for their part, to be available to accompany the implementation of this operation.

For affected retailers, however, the stakes go beyond the loss of a mere retail space. Their activity constitutes, for many, the main means of providing for their families. Sellers of palm oil, fruits and vegetables, retailers of foodstuffs, commonly called “abadirigiza”, as well as some tailors fear that they will find themselves without income if no replacement solution is offered to them.

A representative of the traders points out that several of the women concerned are widows or single mothers who depend entirely on their trade to feed their children. She also evokes the case of people having dropped out of their studies and opted for small business to ensure their livelihood.

For these households, the loss of a market location could result in difficulties well beyond mere business activity, particularly for food, children’s education and debt repayment. The traders therefore demand that the reorganization takes into account their economic situation and that a solution allows them to continue their activities without losing the essence of their clientele.

For her part, Diane Niyibitanga maintains that the separation of flammable products and the reorganization of commercial spaces meet a safety measure decided at a higher level. She urged traders to structure their grievances and submit them to the administration rather than multiplying, according to her, disorderly collective actions.

She assures, however, that the authorities will continue to receive their concerns and seek solutions to the difficulties raised. According to her, this reorganization should gradually extend to other markets in Ruyigi district.

Between the need to prevent fires and preserve livelihoods, the situation at Ruyigi Market highlights the difficulties faced by small traders when safety measures directly affect their businesses. The latter demand concrete solutions to continue working and repay their loans, while the administration stresses the need to secure facilities and facilitate access to emergency relief.

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Traders installed in a part of the Ruyigi market affected by demolitions, in the province of Buhumuza, in eastern Burundi (SOS Médias Burundi)