P
eacefully nestled along picturesque hilltops, Kigali
is a thriving African city immediately notable for its
cleanliness, orderliness, and hospitality.
Considered one of the most beautiful cities in Africa by
visitors on travel sites and on social media, Kigali did not
happen overnight. It has taken almost 20 years to rebuild the
city’s physical, psychological and legal character. And yet it
lives up to this newfound but long overdue fame with grace.
The city hosts the main residence and offi ces of the
President of Rwanda, government ministries, major hotels, a
national beautiful and well facilitated library, Mount Kigali
and tourist sites like Kigali Genocide Memorial, Inema
Arts Center, Hotel des Mille Collines, Nyanza Genocide
Memorial, Museum of Natural History, Presidential Palace
Museum and many others.
What grabs your attention when you first land in
Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, is how clean it is. The streets
are spotlessly clean. The idea of cleanliness seems to be
ingrained in the minds of Rwandans. It also has a lot to do
with a sense of pride that Rwandans have in their country.
Citizens do not litter, plastic bags are not used, and every
effort is made to maintain cleanliness.
Kigali epitomises the “green living” mantra and it
gives the city harmony, balance and hope. The latter too
is something identifi ed with Kigali as the country rebuilds
itself like the proverbial Phoenix rising from the ashes.
Physical beauty aside, for Kigali to look beautiful
and maintain order, many things have been put in place.
Not only are there stringent laws, but the effective
implementation of these laws is what makes the city stand
out above others.
And then, there is Umuganda. In Kinyirwanda, the
local language, Umuganda means coming together for a
common purpose.
The biggest weapon in the Rwandan arsenal perhaps is
their smile. This is a country that has seen the worst of it,
only to emerge stronger and more determined. The average
Rwandan will greet you with a smile and a ‘You are most
welcome’! They are aware of their gruesome history but
are determined to create a pleasant future.
Kigali also has the distinction of being one of the safest
cities for women in the world. The focus on women’s safety
is prominent because Rwanda is a country run by women.
64 percent of its parliamentarians are women. Clearly,
the tiny, land-locked country is leading the way in gender
equality. Locals give much of the credit to how President
Paul Kagame runs the country – with an iron fi st and with a
plan. As Rwanda moves forward into the future, it does so in
the shadow of its cultural and linguistic similarities, leaving
behind the differences that ripped them apart in the past.
Needless to say, Kigali is blessed to have a well-
structured development plan, proper quality roads and is
believed worldwide, to be the safest and most non-corrupt
city in the whole African continent due to the strict and hard
rules that the police follow to enable full safety, equality
and liveliness of the people.
2018 • RWANDA • 15