A family-owned hotel valued at more than Rwf400 million has remained closed in Rusizi District for months after local authorities halted renovation works and imposed a Rwf7.2 million penalty over alleged construction violations.
Hotel du Lake, which was built in the 1980s, has not reopened while its owners appeal the penalty and seek to resolve the dispute with the district.
According to the owners, the dispute began after local authorities instructed them to renovate the ageing property. They say they followed that instruction and began rehabilitation works to restore the hotel and resume operations.
Following an inspection in February 2026, however, district officials ordered the works to stop and issued the Rwf7.2 million penalty.
The enforcement notice reviewed by Taarifa refers to construction irregularities, but the district has not publicly provided further details about the alleged violations.
The owners say they were surprised by the decision because they understood the renovation to be consistent with earlier instructions from local authorities and had already invested substantially in the work.
The family later appealed the penalty, arguing that it had acted on the district’s instructions and remained willing to address any outstanding requirements.
In its latest letter, dated October 21 and received by the district on October 22, the family asked for the fine to be reconsidered and for an amicable resolution that would allow the hotel to reopen.
The owners also said they met with the district mayor and Alfred Habimana, the Vice Mayor in Charge of Economic Development, to discuss the dispute. They said those meetings had not produced a resolution.
The family says the closure has affected its investment and prevented the business from resuming operations. It maintains that the renovation was intended to comply with the district’s instructions and that it is ready to cooperate with authorities on any remaining requirements.
The dispute comes as Rusizi seeks to expand its tourism, trade and hospitality sectors.
The district borders the Democratic Republic of Congo and is near Lake Kivu, Nyungwe National Park and Kamembe Airport. These features could support demand for accommodation and related services, although the effect of Hotel du Lake’s closure on the wider local economy has not been established.
Hotels in the area serve tourists, business travellers and people crossing between Rwanda and eastern Congo. They also provide employment and create demand for goods and services from local suppliers.
Taarifa contacted Habimana for clarification on the alleged violations, the basis for the Rwf7.2 million penalty and the conditions required for the hotel to reopen.
Habimana did not respond to Taarifa’s questions or provide the district’s explanation of the decision.
As a result, several questions remain unanswered, including the specific construction requirements the district says were breached, how the penalty was calculated and what steps the owners must complete before the closure can be lifted.
Hotel du Lake’s owners are awaiting a response to their latest appeal. Until the dispute is resolved, the property remains closed.
