Why do OTRACO buses no longer serve downtown Bujumbura?
The King Umurundi Freedom organization is launching a series of investigations into the critical situation at OTRACO, the public transport company, which is threatened with closure according to several internal sources.
OTRACO is currently headed by Ms. Françoise Ngozirazana (former governor of Makamba), assisted by Jacques Niyibizi, Technical Director. However, there is confusion surrounding who actually makes the decisions.
Ms. Ngozirazana, newly appointed in April 2025 to replace Denis Bukuru, seems to be little involved, leaving Jacques Niyibizi in effective control of management.
Before the fuel crisis, OTRACO had set up a special service to support public transport in the city. Each day, 10 buses ran in the morning and 10 in the evening. For this, the company received 9,000 liters of fuel from SOPEBU, provided it submitted a detailed consumption report.
But by a unilateral decision by Jacques Niyibizi, this service was suspended. According to our investigations, he deemed that this system brought him no personal benefit. Consequently, OTRACO ceased receiving the 9,000 liters of fuel, thus exacerbating its difficulties.
This decision has also jeopardized school transport contracts concluded with several schools such as Saint-Esprit, Vugizo, SOS, Scheppers, Michel Archange, Indépendante or Kamuri.
Niyibizi’s decision has sparked strong protests among employees, especially since many buses are now out of service, a direct consequence of what is considered chaotic management.
In the second part, we will return to how Jacques Niyibizi allegedly diverted the company’s resources for his own benefit, bringing OTRACO to the brink of collapse.