Kigali, Rwanda

We spend a week on our own in a beautiful AirBnB in a lovely neighborhood in Kigali, Rwanda, a city I’d heard was vibrant and thriving in the fastest growing country in Africa, and it is the perfect antidote with phenomenal restaurants, clean and safe streets, and some of the most beautiful and friendly people in Africa. Honestly I wasn’t sure I was still in Africa! 

We start our visit by touring this hilly city on Chinese e-bikes with a local guide. The vehicle of choice here is the motorcycle which swarm around the cars, many with paying rides, creating a constant flow on the roads. I am intimidated initially but the drivers are very deferential and the speed limit is strictly enforced via cameras everywhere so there’s a tone of courtesy which brought comfort. We’re guided through wealthy neighborhoods, past their convention center in the dome shape of their traditional homes, alongside a 2km 4 lane running track paralleling the road open to all to use, then up another hill into the less affluent Muslim quarter, where the structures are solid compared to townships we’d seen elsewhere. Through our guide we learn that credit for this country’s success, especially after the devastating genocide it experienced in the 1990’s, goes to their President Paul Kagame, in power since 2000 ruling with a gloved iron fist. He sets the tone by eliminating corruption at the top, expecting good behavior of citizens and handing out stiff punishment for misbehavior, and developing an emphasis on smart growth including sustainability. The government buys electric vehicles in bulk and sells them back to citizens with favorable loans, the Greenride Africa app provides ride sharing using only electric vehicles, most of the motorcycles are electric with ample charging stations throughout, and recycling bins are available everywhere. The city is also exceedingly clean, and like lawnmowers in New England in the summer, you can always find someone sweeping, mopping, or landscaping here, to the point of ensuring a small handful of debris in the gutter gets removed, which I witnessed. Our guide explains that Kigali citizens pay 1,000 RWF ($60) per month for city cleaning and citizens are fined 5,000 RWF ($304) if found littering. There’s an emphasis on health, thus the free track, and the President frequently participates in community weekend walks. Also the streets are safe day and night with security cameras and personnel everywhere, which we’re reveling in, enjoying evening strolls with little concern. You may ask “How can the current President rule since 2000?” Elections occur every 7 years, expanded from 5 years, and for a maximum of 4 terms. He’s been called a dictator due to his tight grip though discussions with several citizens confirms he is also beloved and is core to this country functioning so well after the history it has survived. If this type of reform requires a dictator, so be it – they’re enjoying the stability they so deserve.

No trip to Kigali is complete without visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial which outlines the horrors of 1994 and the back story. Germans colonized Rwanda in 1875 which was transferred to the Belgians after WWI. In 1932 an identity card was introduced which categorized anyone with 10 cows as Tutsi and fewer cows as Hutu, using physical measurements such as nose length as part of the calculus, with the designation being passed down through generations, to effectively split the population. Europeans brought increased prosperity to the region using enslaved labor, showing preferential treatment towards Tutsis whom they deemed more intelligent, further fueling the tribal dissonance. With Hutus comprising a dominant 85% of the population, they massacred Tutsis in the thousands over the decades and Rwandan independence in 1962 enabled Hutus to gain political power. By 1990 the Hutu-led government put forth their Ten Commandments proselytizing that any Hutu supporting Tutsi family, friends, or neighbors be deemed a traitor, and they used the media to advocate for Tutsi eradication. In response, the international community delivered the Arusha Peace Accord in 1992 to create a transitional government for peace, but the Hutu-led government undermined its success, simultaneously completing the largest-ever arms deal with a French company for $12 million, in preparation for what was to come. In 1994 the bubble burst when the Hutu president’s plane was shot down and Tutsis were blamed. Hutus took to the streets with rifles, machetes, and clubs to exterminate all Tutsis – neighbors turned on neighbors, friends on friends, even family on family. In the end the genocide resulted in over 1 million deaths in 100 days, leaving tens of thousands mutilated, 300,000 orphans, 85,000 children as head of household, and 2 million refugees in neighboring countries. The country smelt of death while perpetrators fled into neighboring countries. The Kigali Genocide Memorial provides graves for 250,000 victims, many unnamed and many still being discovered and identified.

This was only 32 years ago. It is hard to reconcile this tragic history with the vibrant city before us, and their recovery amazes us to no end. We watch Hotel Rwanda after our Memorial visit, and many of the facts align in the movie, but Rwandans tell us that the Hutu hotel manager, Paul Rusesabagina, who housed over 1,200 Tutsi at the Hôtel des Milles Collines during the genocide saving their lives, is falsely represented as a hero, Hollywood having simplified the story. 

On a lighter note we explore some of the prolific local art, first by visiting Inema Arts Centre where we enjoy chatting for over an hour with co-founder and artist Innocent Nkurunziza and his brother Joseph. Innocent is very accomplished, with his work being displayed globally including the De Young in SF, the Zeitz in Cape Town, and in 2028 in the MOMA in NYC. His work uses natural products including tree bark cloth as a canvas and the centre hosts orphans and female survivors of the Rwandan genocide in support of their community. One room includes wooden figures from the Congo dating from the 1800’s, part of Innocent’s collection of 250 pieces which he purchased after the Rockefeller Foundation completed their selection for museum donations. Innocent directs us to visit Gihanga Institute of Contemporary Art, recently opened in a beautiful modern space showcasing 7 Central African artists including Innocent in an impressive inaugural exhibit. Innocent and his 5 brothers were living as refugees in Uganda during the genocide, returning afterwards to rebuild their lives. Innocent became a globally recognized artist, opening the Centre with his brother Emmanual, and Joseph achieved his BA from Cal State Fullerton with help from the university’s President who’s become a parental figure, with his sights now on an MBA. Their resilience is emblematic of this country rising from the ashes to build back better.

Another contributor to Rwanda’s rebuilding is Jonathan Boyer, a professional road racer and the first American to participate in the Tour de France in 1981, who selected 5 Rwandan young men, including our eBike guide’s brother, to create a national bike racing team in 2007. He had to take the fledgling class completely under his wing, mentoring them not only on biking skills but also on life skills, such as hygiene, nutrition, finances, and many other aspects to improve their lives and livelihoods. He paid them a nominal fee which the riders mostly sent to their families to improve their well being, and from this fledgling class, a national bike team was born, giving so many families over the decades a leg up, and still employing his brother as a mechanic. This is just one of many examples of successful rebuilding with aid and guidance from abroad. 

With Kigali’s explosive growth since the genocide, supported by international donations in cash and counseling, it is has evolved into a very progressive country, a real role model for Africa, and the perfect Intro to Africa country for newbies, complete with safe streets, tony restaurants serving delectable coffee, glittering vistas, wonderful people, and great wildlife and cultural activities.

Next up: Uganda