Remarkable
KIGALI Issue I.Vol I.2016
Remarkable Transformation of City of Kigali
2011-2015
Calm, Freedom, Harmonious
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CONTENTs foreword
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Infrastructure
13
social sector
41
environment
55
tourism sector
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districts
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ProJect Manager Bosco H. KAGABA Remarkable Kigali Magazine is published Quarterly and Online by VISION MEDIA Ltd for the City of Kigali. It promotes the City of Kigali to a local, regional and international audience.
Design & Layout Moses KAYINAMURA
Disclaimer The views expressed in this publication are not neccessarily shared by the publisher. VIsion Media Ltd can not warrant that all information herein is complete and accurate. Š2016.
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FOREWORD I
t is my distinct delight to present to you the inaugural issue of Remarkable Kigali, a special Magazine that documents our City’s Development, taking into account the activities prioritized by the City Hall and those implemented in collaboration with our many stakeholders including Government Ministries, Agencies, Development Partners, Private Sector Organizations and the Residents of the City of Kigali. In this first issue of Remarkable Kigali Magazine, we bring to you the City Hall’s achievements, including those of the three Districts of the City of Kigali—Gasabo, Nyarugenge and Kicukiro—in the period of 5 years starting from 2011 when we were elected into office to the end of 2015. During this period, a lot was achieved as you will find in this magazine. Our focus was to continue transforming our city into a livable city providing world class services to the city residents and visitors. We achieved this through rigorous implementation of the Kigali City Master plan, which is the guiding tool for the City Development. In this Magazine, you will read about the City’s various achievements in various sectors, including Infrastructure Development as a critical sector for the development of other activities, Social Sector Development especially areas of Health and Education, Tourism Development and Environmental Protection which takes into account of promotion of Kigali as a Green and Sustainable City. Remarkable Kigali Magazine also provides you an insight into the achievements made by the Districts of Gasabo, Nyarugenge and Kicukiro between 2011 and 2015. The Magazine also documents the City’s transformation through powerful photos of various features such as buildings, reads and many others that make the City of Kigali great and attractive not only to the residents but also the visitors. I therefore invite you to read, share and continue to support Remarkable Kigali Magazine as it continues to tell Kigali’s Transformation story in its feature editions. Enjoy the reading!
NDAYISABA Fidèle Mayor, City of Kigali 2011-2015.
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Kigali City Hall.
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Infrastructure Development
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President Paul Kagame (L) touring the exhibition area of the Kigali City Hall shortly after opening officially the new City Hall. On his right is the former Mayor of the City of Kigali, Fidele Ndayisaba. Photo by Urugwiro Village.
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Kigali Construction and Urban P Continues To Make Investing in t
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ince 2010, the Government has moved to respond to challenges of doing business that were hampering or slowing down the process of investing in Rwanda, with a special focus to investing in the City of Kigali.
The Cabinet meeting of April 14, 2010 therefore created the ‘Kigali Construction and Urban Planning One Stop Centre as 16
a single office to provide all the services that were related to issuance of construction permits. Getting construction related permits then was perceived as an impediment to investing in Kigali and Rwanda in general due to the lengthy procedures involved thus becoming costly to investors. The “One Stop Centre� was therefore created under the management of the City of Kigali to facilitate investors access
construction related permits in order to speed up investment in the City of Kigali. The center was therefore tasked to ensure that safety standards in the construction sector are followed and respected; develop and review key area detailed physical plans; ensure quick service delivery mostly in building permit issuance; and monitor and advise district land bureaus for efficient service delivery. The Centre is mandated to approve construction projects
The only constructed mixed-use complex owned by Champion Investment Corporation formed by various business persons in the City of Kigali.
Planning One Stop Center the City Much Easier and Faster on an area of above 4,000 square meters, buildings above two storeys and all f15acilities that receive more than 100 people per day. It is also charged with establishment and implementation of doing business reforms to incentivize development of the City. Getting a construction permit takes a minimum of 21 days and applications are submitted online via a special website. The center is also tasked with the role of implementing the Kigali Master Plan as a foundation for economic vitality
for all its citizens; a model of environmental protection and preservation that minimizes pollution and waste disposal; a livable environment that supports sustainable growth of the city while embracing the three Es – Ecology, Equality and economy. “The idea and creation of Kigali Construction and Urban Planning One Stop Centre was indeed a landmark that has changed the face of doing business and made Rwanda an investment hub in just a short time, putting Kigali and the
country in general on the world map with strong and fastest growing economies,� says Fred Mugisha, the Director of the Centre. Since May 2013, the centre has issued more than 1,619 construction permits. The approved projects include development of magnificent commercial facilities (shopping malls, hotels, supermarkets and markets), residential/ housing projects (apartments, real estates and any building with more than 2 floors) and public facilities (schools, hospitals, 17
churches, government facilities and civic centers). Some of the amazing projects already approved include development of a mixed-use commercial complex by CHIC Ltd at the former ETO Muhima premises; Development of a mixed-use complex at the premises formerly occupied by the former Rwanda Office of Tourism and Conversation (ORTPN) and development of a mixed-use complex by Kigali Heights Development at the premises formerly occupied by the Rwanda Post Office in Kacyiru. There is also the development of a mixed-use commercial property at the land formerly occupied by the Media High Council (MHC) opposite Kigali Serena Hotel which was transferred to Prime Excellence Group and development of another mixed-use complex at the land formerly occupied by the Human Rights Commission at Muhima transferred to the Muhima Investment Company (MIC). Other projects approved by the center include Amarembo Centre which combines Akagera Motors, VERMA, MIRONKO and Mukangira area, which will have commercial facilities with up to 14 floors; COCOMANYA that is set to redevelop former Nyabugogo Market; and MIG, which is also situated next to former Nyabugogo market. The center also approved construction of a five-star hotel adjacent to Kigali Serena Hotel, owned by New Century Development, Kigali Convention Centre in Kimihurura that also features a five-star hotel, former Kigali Business Centre (KBC), a mixed use commercial property also in Kimihurura and Executive Apartments at the former Radio/TV Rwanda premises and SORAS Towers currently under construction opposite St Michael Cathedral in Nyarugenge District. Several other projects 18
have since been approved by the Center since it was created. Between April 2010 and April 2012 alone, the centre had issued 282 construction permits worth over Rwf1.322 trillion, which were part of the 858 projects it had received at the time. A record 64 building permits were issued in 2010, 138 in 2011 while 80 had been issued between January and April 2012. A total of 96 issued building permits in the first two years of its operation, were commercial facilities, 57 apartments, 24 hotels, nine hospitals, 26 schools, 29 conference halls, 12
The idea and creation of Kigali Construction and Urban Planning One Stop Centre was indeed a landmark that has changed the face of doing business and made Rwanda an investment hub in just a short time churches and two industries. The development of City Hall was also a bench mark for other developments in Central Business District, according Mugisha. “These and many other big commercial and hospitality facilities are coming up especially in the Central Business District including Mateus whose project proposal was also approved and construction works are set start very soon, and there will be a very big change in Kigali in terms of investment and economic development in general in the next few years,” Mugisha explains. “We are also in the final stages of completion of the affordable
housing study aimed at guiding all future housing developments to ensure compliance to required densities as well as affordability of housing units,” Mugisha further said.
Moving from Manual to Online Processes When the One Stop Center started, most of its work was done manually but the City Authorities soon started to equip the center with modern tools in order to facilitate quick service delivery. Consequently, in May 2013, the Construction Permitting Management Information System (CPMIS) was introduced thus enabling the center to process permits for these big projects much faster. According to Mugisha, the establishment of construction permitting management information system has enabled application for permits online at www.kcps,.gov.rw. “This website also provides all pre-requisite information to support project design and partly contributed to the introduction of 21 days maximum period for issuance of construction permit,” Mugisha further noted.The online construction permit application reduced the number of issuance of building permit to maximum 21 days from 100 days previously. It cost effective and has enhanced Rwanda’s economic growth and improved consumer satisfaction through improved service delivery. “The establishment of the construction one stop centre, completion of city master plan and the inauguration of the online information system were landmarks that are really important steps by the City of Kigali to stand at par with other developed cities around the world,” Mugisha further says. Centre of Urban Excellence The development of the City of Kigali follows the city master
plan, which also guides the investment placements in all the three districts of the City. As the city expands, it is of great importance for the city authorities to plan for the sustainability of the city having into the mind housing development, recreational spaces and development of the commercial areas as well as other critical infrastructure such as roads, electricity network, and internet and water resources. To continue ensuring the city of Kigali develops according to the plan, the city’s conceptual master plan stretching to the year 2040 has been developed. This is aimed at making Kigali the Center of Urban Excellence in the region and at the continental level. The Revised Conceptual Master Plan integrates the National Land Use Map (2010), National Transportation Plan (2010), Sustainable Tourism Master Plan (RDB-2012) and the Public Transport Policy and Strategy for Rwanda (Ministry of Infrastructure-2012. Currently, the City of Kigali covers an area of 730 square kilometers with a population of about 1.3 million which is anticipated to grow to 4.2 million by 2040.
Promoting Investment opportunities To continue developing the City, investment promotion is one of many the programs that the city authorities have prioritized. And this is based on the past successes where investors--given the attractive doing business reforms carried out in the recent past--have heavily invested in all sectors of the city’s economy. Augustin Rwomushana, the Director of Urban Economic Development in the City of Kigali says potential investors are offered investment and business promotion incentives
and opportunities. “Every fast growing economy is built on the firm foundation of political stability and very stable and safe city to invest in, incredible weather that’s favorable for any business venture, which Rwanda and Kigali in particular enjoys today and offers to any investor that wishes to make Kigali their investment home,” says Rwomushana. He says, “Kigali boosts investment opportunities in ICT like broadband networks, housing including affordable houses, tourism and recreational centers. We have many upcoming projects that will meet the recreational needs of international visitors and the residents of Kigali such as Kimicanga Entertainment District and Meraneza Public Park.” Mugisha says that a detailed study for the 5.3 hectare Kimicanga Entertainment District is being developed while a detailed study for the over 60 hectares Meraneza Public Park located in upper Nyamirambo in Nyarugenge District is complete. “There are many opportunities and we need potential investors in terms of
investment in recreational facilities; but again, there are a wide range of other opportunities in commercial and hospitality facilities and that’s why this office (One stop centre) is here to also facilitate investors with identification of land and strategic locations depending on the type of investment they have,” says Mugisha. He also revealed that the City of Kigali will redevelop Tapis Rouge Olympic standard sports complex which will have an international swimming pool, basket and volley ball pitches, among others facilities. The construction of the sports complex on a 3.4 hectare piece of land next to the current Kigali Regional Stadium in Nyamirambo, he says, is scheduled to start in July 2016.
Developing Gahanga, Kigali’s second Metropolitan City Gahanga in Kicukiro District has been chosen to be the second metropolitan city in the City of Kigali. Named as Gahanga Regional Centre, the land demarcated for development will cover a total area of 260 hectares. The second metropolitan city at Gahanga will include 19
an integrated business park, commercial and convention centre, a unique city gateway overlooking the scenic wetland park, a recreational destination for all ages with variety of housing options and an integrated transport hub. Although Gahanga Regional Center is yet to register investors as it waits to get basic infrastructure such as water, electricity, roads and drainage, the area around it has already attracted huge investment projects which have already received approval from the One Stop center. These include a cricket stadium that is currently under construction and Gahanga Sports Village valued at US$150 million (approx Rwf1.2 trillion) that includes a 40, 000 seater football stadium and a four-
star hotel and an Olympic size swimming pool. Other projects around Gahanga include construction of an international cancer centre, a private investment by an American doctor, Rwanda International Trade Exhibition Park (RITEP), a project of the Private Sector Federation, whose construction is set to start soon, and an SME Park that covers 43.14 hectares, which has so far attracted seven factories currently operational, out of 40 that will be accommodated by this park.
Investors Commend the Center Investors in the City of Kigali who have already been served by the center commend its services, saying that without it, investing in the city would
still be a lengthy and costly procedure, which would have not benefited the country. Tharcisse Ngabonziza, the Chairman of CHIC Ltd, which constructed a mixed use complex at the land formerly occupied by ETO Muhima in Nyarugenge District, says the center has made Rwanda one of the investment destinations in Africa due to its rapid services. “Rwanda is one of the best investment destinations in Africa because of its quick, timely and reliable means of facilitating investors in business registration, land acquisition and acquisition of building permit,” Ngabonziza said, adding, “Any investor, who comes to Rwanda, will tell you the same that all these services are easier to get compared to other economies and we are glad that Rwanda has continued to improve these services.”
Challenges According to Mugisha, one of the challenges the center currently faces is that of project proprietors, who use unregistered architects thus derailing the permitting process. Only registered architects or engineers in Rwanda are allowed to represent and process the acquisition of building permits on behalf of their clients.
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“We urge investors to use only registered engineers because it is a prerequisite to getting a construction permit. But again, some architecture professionals take long to implement amendments on projects as requested which delays the process of issuing a building permit,” Mugisha said. He adds that another challenge is that of the people who construct without building permits which could cause unplanned settlements, something that is against the city master plan.
The first Car Free Zone area on KN 4 Avenue in the Central Business District.
In Pursuit of Sustainable Green Transport, City of Kigali Introduces Car-Free Zones
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ities world over have been working hard to tackle vehicle congestion problems in their central or busiest districts. Some big and fastest growing economies across the world have instituted congestion charges for cars within the city centers.
What was once a trafficchoked stretch of roadway is now a tranquil for pedestrians shopping at ease and exploring the beauty of the city without fear of being knocked down.
and peaceful to pedestrians, according to the City Engineer, Dr Alphonse Nkurunziza, the move is in the spirit of making Kigali one of the best cities on the African continent.
Initially, businesses along KN 4 Avenue struggled a bit but instantly adapted and embraced modern forms of shopping, such as online ordering and home delivery.
The decision to minimize vehicle congestion in the city center aims at promoting “green transport and sustainability in the city, according to Dr. Nkurunziza.
While hundreds of cities around the world are experimenting with car-free days, the City of Kigali(CoK), in August 2015 decided to be exceptional and declared part of the Central Business District (CBD) a permanently Car-free Zone.
Artists and party-goers are rejoicing in their newfound space, setting up mini-galleries along the road and hosting parties, such as the recent silent disco, in the street.
To make the car-free zone area more enjoyable to the users, new infrastructure such as security booths, public restrooms, and street furniture will soon be set up.
Though the closed area, along KN 4 Avenue, is now quiet
Other facilities to be added include rest posts with free 21
“A tender for a detailed study of a revised car-free zone along KN4 Avenue will soon be awarded and once it’s completed and implemented, it will inform the city’s next move to establish other equally vibrant green corridors (car free zones),” says Fred Mugisha, the Coordinator for Kigali Construction and Urban Planning One Stop Centre.
More Car-Free Zones Coming As part of streamlining the car free zones, the CoK has set up a team of seven persons that has a mandate of ensuring that car free zones become the pride to everyone in the City including visitors. Once completed, these green zones will have three corridors
Rubangura House.However, the Nyarugenge MarketRubangura House road will be multipurpose, with a specific lane for vehicles, pedestrians and other recreational activities.
which will provide specific spaces for entertainment, cultural heritage, Rwanda’s history reflection, arts and friendly pedestrian pavements. Other recreational facilities will include shades, benches and safe bicycle parking yards.
The CoK is equally expanding other roads within the City center to promote green transport.
“Many activities are in the pipeline; the team is working on the new framework that will incorporate all structural guidelines to be implemented in the car-free zone. We want to make the first car free zone and pedestrian route models so that when time comes to implement other routes, we won’t get any challenges that we had while implementing the first one,” said Dr. Nkurunziza.
So far, the expansion of KN3 Avenue (Along I&M Bank all the way to Kigali Serena Hotel) that has bicycle and pedestrian lanes is complete. “We have allocated bicycle parking yards and padlocks where bicycle owners can lock them safely as they go for their businesses. We want to reduce carbon emissions and car traffic in the city center,” said City Engineer, Dr Nkurunziza.
According to Dr. Nkurunziza, other identified potential roads for car-free zones include the road stretching down between Bank of Kigali headquarters to Downtown (Muhima) and the road stretching from former Nyarugenge Market to
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Investing in infrastruture such as roads has been a top priority for the City of Kigali.
Commuting in Kigali: Public Transport Reforms Bear Fruits A s the City of Kigali continues to grow in economic vibrancy and stability, it finds itself at the centre of rural urban migration. Many rural folks especially the young continue to flock the capital in search of greener pastures. This has compelled authorities at the City Hall to move fast and design more innovative solutions to circumvent the human influx and decongest the city. One of the ingenuous ways of achieving the objective, according to city authorities, has been to continue striving for a modern, efficient and reliable public transport system that would respond to the growing traffic demand.
For example, the number of motorists has gone up from 2.9 per cent to 7 per cent in less than five years. There is no doubt, therefore, that the city has made a right choice to adopt to a transport system that is well-integrated to facilitate not only movement in and around the city but also greatly reduce the cost of doing business. According to Dr. Alphonse Nkurunziza, the City of Kigali Engineer, Kigali adopted a transport system that is people-oriented; one that aims at achieving an efficient public transport in which travel by public means is more convenient than private. “Our vision is to continue striving for a transport system that is not only cost effective
but also environmentally friendly in its nature,� Dr. Nkurunziza says. To aid in achieving this goal, a creative interplay between hard and ICT-related infrastructure as envisaged in the Kigali City 2013-2040 Transportation Master Plan is being activated.
Re-designing Roads According to statistics from Ministry of Infrastructure, more than 65 kilometres of national unpaved roads were for example upgraded to paved roads while 137.6 kilometres of national paved roads were rehabilitated. More than 60 percent of these paved roads are within the City of Kigali. Kigali’s roads cover about 1,000km. According the 23
Transport Sector Strategic Plan 2013-18, by the year 2013, the total paved roads in the City of Kigali were only 153Km while the unpaved ones were 864km. This showed that 85% of the roads in Kigali were not in motor-able condition, and this reduces economic development and accelerates poverty In 2010, the City of Kigali laid out a wider strategy to construct a total of 103.7km new roads in phases and rehabilitate about 34km others. Thus, new 385km of tarmac roads, 31.4km of cobblestones, 2km of concretes and 2345.4km of earth roads have been constructed in the last five years (2011-2015). Over 46 kilometres of new roads were constructed during the 2010/2011 financial year alone while another 25km of road were rehabilitated in the same period. All the constructed roads, with exception of earth roads, have pedestrian walkways. Among the new roads that were constructed include Nyamirambo-Akumunigo; Rwampara-Gikondo; Cercle 24
Sportif-Nyamirambo; MagerwaGatenga; Kacyiru Police Hospital-King Faisal hospital; Nyamirambo-Zone Belge; Gishushu-Urwego-Motorvehicle Mechanical Centre (Remera); Gishushu-Inilak-Shell Petrol Station; Motor-vehicle Mechanical Centre-Gishanga– Goboka; Kwa Rwahama-Bibare road. Rwandex – Kicukiro centre via Zion Temple Church, in Kicukiro district, Chez Lando – Croix du Sud Hospital commonly known as Kwa Nyirinkwaya in Remera and Gakinjiro – FAWE Girls. “We are working to make our roads friendlier for pedestrians and cyclists. Next, we shall put in place systems that will ensure that buses are given priority over private vehicles. Finally, we’ll utilise information technology (IT) as an enabler to help with traffic control, fare collection and provision of information on bus availability and arrival times,” says Dr. Nkurunziza. Dr Nkurunziza says that these new roads in the city are designed to include dedicated passenger, cyclist and bus lanes and Private cars are not allowed on lanes dedicated for buses
even when there’s traffic jam. A couple of newly-completed city roads for example already boast this feature. For instance, a dedicated bus lane has been added to the city centre roundabout-Rubangura, and according to Dr. Nkurunziza, private cars caught using this lane are fined accordingly. “The Rwandex-Prince HouseRemera road will also be expanded to include these features. This new road will have dedicated bus lanes to facilitate easy movement of the buses,” says Dr. Nkurunziza. “The idea is that if someone in a private car sees that public buses move faster because of the dedicated bus lanes and preferential crossing at junctions, they will opt for public means and keep the car for trips outside town. That is one car less on the road,” says Nkurunziza.
Streamlining Public Transport In August 2013, Kigali Bus Service, Royal Express and the Rwanda Federation of Transport Co-operatives (RFTC),
Downtown bus park has eased traffic caused by the commuter buses in the Central Business District in the City of Kigali.
signed a five-year contract to provide public transport on different routes in the City of Kigali. The idea was to try and reduce congestion and create efficiency in the transport industry. And according to Ruben Ahimbisibwe, the Director for Infrastructure at the City of Kigali, Government is committed to ensuring that Rwandans enjoy the best services in all sectors including public transport. He says city transport needs a systematic study to balance commuters’ need for better services with transporters’ benefits. “Transport firms may increase buses to meet the peak hours’ demand, but then have little work during off peak periods. This will cause losses and push them out of business. So, we need a good monitoring system on traffic flow to be able to gauge the operations of the firms and see how to improve the benefit of everyone,” Ahimbisibwe said.
Plans to decongest city on the cards According to Ahimbisibwe, the
traffic jams that characterize peak hours are partly due to low capacity of roads to accommodate the growing number of vehicles in the city. He, however, says road construction and expansion roadmap is meant to fix such transport woes in the city. “We have started projects aimed at decongesting the city and streamlining further public transport,” he notes. To ease traffic congestion, the City authorities encouraged investors to purchase higher capacity buses and over 200 Coasters were imported over the past few years. The formation of the Rwanda Federation of Transport Cooperatives has boosted the investment of public transport in the City. Regulations governing motorcycles were introduced and they were also encouraged to form cooperatives with remarkable success. Traffic lights were also installed to facilitate the free flow of traffic. Ahimbisibwe says there is an ongoing study on road expansion that is expected to be completed. This project requires over $76 million
(Rwf55 billion) to implement. Another study on ‘special ways’ for public transport vehicles started in February 2016. New roads are also expected to be built around the city to expand the road network.
Our vision is to continue striving for a transport system that is not only cost effective but also environmentally friendly in its nature “The ongoing study of ring road around the city is yet to be completed, and once completed; the road will have three outlets linking Nyamata Road, Rwamagana Road, Free Economic Zone, Gatuna Road, as well as northern and southern roads,” Ahimbisibwe noted. The idea is to have vehicles, especially transit trucks and commuters destined for these up-country routes, not to pass through the city centre. 25
IT solutions Ahimbisibwe further said: “We are working with Koreans to help us on how to use Intelligence Transport System (ITS) to control the traffic flow. We have made IT a priority which must be operational soon. With the system, we will be able to monitor all the buses on city roads and identify the zones that are underserved.” The City of Kigali is also working with Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) which regulates public transport operations, among other sectors, to implement the ITS. Ahimbisibwe says that besides the long-term projects for infrastructure development, the city council will also assess the state of public transport. “If there is need, we will ask contractors to buy more buses, but also penalize operators who cause unnecessary delays.”
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According to Mr. Emmanuel Asaba Katabarwa, the head of transport at RURA, some of the ICT infrastructure’s main features include the automated sensor at junctions or traffic lights that detects an oncoming bus priority to cross, thus reducing delay; introduction of integrated Automated Fare Collection system that allows bus-users to pay for their transport fares weeks in advance using smart cards, and works with all bus services to ease travel; a Passenger Information System that allows passengers to know which buses are available at what time so they plan their travel and don’t have to wait at the bus stage indefinitely. “These measures will help make public transport easier and more attractive for private car owners,” says Katabarwa.
Budget In 2015, authorities at the City
Hall approved the 2015/16 Budget, worth Rwf17.8 billion, with 70 per cent going towards developing infrastructure, roads inclusive. It is from the financial support that all ongoing projects that are in line with priorities such as transport, water and sanitation, environment, justice, ICT, social protection, urbanization, youth and others are benefiting.
Street Naming In 2012, the city rolled out a project to name all the streets in Kigali. Also, the houses are given numbers, an exercise that is still ongoing in most parts of the city. The project code named street dressing thought to have 285km of roads and streets named with letters and numbers using Google earth mapping technology, which has facilitated movement city residents and tourists.
Increased Electric Adds Light To The
T
he cost of doing business in the City of Kigali and people’s ways of living is steadily improving, thanks to the increased connectivity and access to electricity. Energy has become an essential pillar of economic development not only in the City of Kigali but across the country.
And through its Electricity Access Rollout Programme (EARP) programme, the government has vowed to increase generation capacity, access and connectivity. The main objective is to facilitate the private sector to continue investing but also improve people’s standards of living. In Kigali, energy has become a major powering tool for economic development and continues to contribute greatly to the government’s poverty alleviation programme and to uplift people out of poverty. The government now targets to increase access to electricity to 70 percent by 2018, up from the current 24 percent. In Kigali, the targets are higher than other parts of the country, and must be met in a specified period, to be able to meet the increasing demand emanating from all sectors. It’s obvious that as the 28
City’s population keeps increasing so is the demand for social amenities of life like better health services, transport, and education, administration and accommodation services.
All of this demand can only be met with increased access to electricity, the very reason the City of Kigali has been investing heavily towards increasing access to electricity. Eng. Elie Makeba Nzeyimana, the monitoring and evaluation specialist says that the city’s access to electricity rollout program targets to increase connect households, healthy centers, schools and administrative centers. The national electrification planning which defines strategies to reach the 2017 target (EDPRS II target) has the City of Kigali well at the center. And the good news is that targets for the city are being realized. More than 70 percent of Kigali residents now have access to electricity, says Nzeyimana. In Gasabo District, for example, access to electricity currently stands at 62 percent; Kicukiro District at 73.16 percent; and 66.84 percent in Nyarugenge District. Health centres and all the 35 administrative sectors are connected. However, Eng. Nzeyimana says the topography of
some parts of Kigali affect rapid electricity roll-out programme.
“It is still a major challenge affecting the rate of connectivity in the city especially those living in high risk zones and far from the existing electricity infrastructure,” says Nzeyimana. “Our ultimate objective, however, is to connect all households and social infrastructures including health facilities, schools and administrative offices,” he adds. The electricity access and connectivity strategy has in fact expanded to include small and medium scale business enterprises like milk collection centers, food processing firms and coffee washing stations, among others. This programme, according to City authorities, is fully aligned with the government’s vision of improving better health, education and reduces poverty levels to below 30 percent and ultimately to 10 percent by 2018. Meanwhile, the Government of Rwanda is working around the clock to increase power generation capacity from the current 185 mega watts to at least 563 mega watts by 2018. The idea is to generate enough power that will facilitate the ease of doing business in the country while
city Connectivity e Beauty of Kigali
Electricity supply has been a key catalyst for Kigali’s development
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reducing the cost of production especially for industrialists. This, according to Jean Bosco Mugiraneza, the Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Energy Group (REG), will translate into low power tariffs and drive growth. Mugiraneza notes that priority will be on reducing load shedding and increase supply through off grid solutions around the country and in capital in particular. Mugiraneza says the utility body has so far made about 520,000 on-grid electricity connections countrywide, translating into 24 per cent of the 70 per cent targeted connections (48 per cent on grid and 22 per cent off grid) by 2017/18 financial year. “We ensure sector-focused and efficient operations to attract more investments and improve planning and accountability… besides improving access to services by the population as per the second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II) and other national development goals,” Mugiraneza notes.
Powering Kigali For the City of Kigali to achieve its access and connectivity targets, REG is counting on projects like construction of the Gabiro substation, rehabilitation of the Kigali network, construction of the Rulindo– Gabiro–Musha transmission line that is expected to transmit 110kv, as well as construction of the 30 mega watts thermal power plant, which will boost power supply. Currently, a project to upgrade the existing electricity infrastructure in Kigali is under way and funded by the European Union. The 26million Euro project (Kigali Links) will help improve 30
and establish essential infrastructure that contribute to the reduction of technical losses and allow the transmission of electricity to the national grid while improving the security, reliability and quality of supply to the City of Kigali Priority The project will see the upgrading of the power substations of Mount Kigali, Birembo and Jabana as well as the construction of a new substation in Gahanga, Kicukiro District. A 110kV power-line covering 23 kilometres, will also be laid to connect the stations and to complete what is called the ‘Kigali Ring.’ The Government of Rwanda is working with other Partners including World Bank Group and African Development Bank (AfDB) to scale up access to electricity by industries, small and medium enterprises, and general businesses. For instance the ongoing projects like a supply line in Gikobero and Bitunga is expected to serve around 2, 200 customers in Kigali.
Impact Access to electricity has been made easier with waiving all fees for completing a new connection, including the security deposit. Rwanda now ranks 62nd globally as the easiest place to getting electricity from 79th, according to the 2015 World Bank Doing Business report. Businesswise, economic experts are confident that increasing electricity access and connectivity will in the long-run translate into low cost of production and obviously, improve the standard of living in the city. There is remarkable social and
economic transformation visible in areas where electricity has been distributed. People’s lives are increasingly getting better as new opportunities to generate income and better delivery of services get to the areas which have been recently connected. Aline Uwitonze a resident of Rugando, Kimihurura in Gasabo District, says increased access to electricity has greatly improved health services in Kigali. “The notion that power is a reserve for the urban rich is no longer the case; it is evident that increased access to electricity boosts the small and medium enterprise industry, creates more jobs and ultimately reduces poverty levels in Kigali,” Uwitonze said.
Reducing cost of production The Ministry of Infrastructure, Energy Utility Corporation Limited (EUCL) and REG, recently worked out a strategy to help reduce load shedding among productive sectors of the economy in the City of Kigali. The strategy, according to Hon. James Musoni, the Minister for Infrastructure, allows manufacturers to access electricity for nine hours uninterrupted up from the present six hours. Government is also pondering solution to avail stable power to industrialists to reduce the cost of production and boost their capacities. According to Antoine Manzi, the Director for operations at the Private Sector Foundation (PSF), powering Kigali City translates into a reduction in cost of doing business which is critical in attracting foreign investments.
Lighting Kigali Streets In its efforts to reduce road carnage, crime rates and boost its tourism industry, the City of Kigali has invested a sizable number of its budget to have its streets lit at night. These efforts, according to Eng. Evode Nkusi, the City officer for energy and public lighting, have begun to pay off handsomely. For example, the City currently boasts of more than 265 kilometres of road network covered with public lighting. The plan, according to Nkusi is to light the entire 350 kilometre-network (tarmac and stone paved roads) and any new roads by 2018.The city authorities have also worked out yet another 5-year plan to roll-out environmental friendly and energy saving street lamps, to reduce the cost. This is meant to save the city up to Rwf954 million annually. City authorities are banking on this 5-year project to increase revenues from its tourism industry but also improve the city’s ranking on the global scale. This project is very critical because, for the last 20 years, most city lights have been using high pressure types of 250watts (90 per cent) and
400watts (10 per cent). The new plan, however, underpins the importance of energy saving types of 100watts and 180 watts. “By replacing them in 265 kilometres of public roads in the city, we will save Rwf954, 889,056 every year,” Eng. Nkusi, said. The plan, according to Eng. Nkusi, is to pull them down and install “light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with latest energy saving technology and use 40 to 60 per cent less energy compared to the HPS lamps.”More than 10 kilometers: the road section from Kanogo-Poids LourdNyabugogo-Gitikinyoni has already been replaced with LED, under this project.
Tapping into Solar Energy The City’s public lighting plan is equally looking to tap into solar as the most environmentally and cost effective solution, says Eng. Nkusi. For instance, the initial 4 kilometres phase of this plan stretches from Nyanza memorial in Kicukiro to Gahanga centre.“Even if it is costly, it is cost effective in the long run. Research shows that we can produce four to six watts per square meter per day, which is reasonably enough, and Rwanda’s
climate favours solar power generation,” says Eng. Nkusi. The City has a pilot project on Mt. Jali which feeds 250Kw into the national grid and a new one near the Sonatubes area, in Kicukiro.
Residents Speak out According to the city dwellers, lighting streets has made the city more secure, good for business and potential marketing tool for tourism. Patrick Nshimyumuremyi, a businessman in Kigali believes lighting streets has given the city an upper hand to attract more tourists in the region. “Street lighting has become a standard now widely thought to be an effective means of preventing crime; it is also very critical in reducing road accidents especially at night,” says Nshimyumuremyi. A study by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in 2015 revealed that better street lighting indeed improves safety. François, Niyotwagira, a taxi driver says that driving outside of daylight hours is more dangerous than driving at night with street light. “We are, therefore, excited as drivers that city authorities are doing all it takes to have all streets lit at night,” says Niyotwagira.
Most roads in the City of Kigali have installed street lights.
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Industrializing Kigali for
I
ndustrialization and human resource development are part of the Government of Rwanda’s strategy for achieving the Vision 2020 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and one of the top priorities in the City of Kigali.
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Rwanda and the City of Kigali in particular have made great strides in terms of industrialization especially in the last five years (2011-2015).
establishment of a wide variety of small scale commercial and industrial operations particularly garages and artisanal mining operations.
Although the industrial base remains generally low and less competitive compared to the rest of the region, assessments conducted over the years have showed a steady increase of Rwanda’s industrial base. There is also an increase in the
At least 70 percent of Rwanda’s industries are located in the City of Kigali. This implies that in the development of the industrial sector, cities play a critical role towards industrializing the economy of the country. Currently, plans are underway
Rwanda Seed and Silo Plants at the Kigali Special Economic Zone. The new industrial area is a boost to Kigali’s development. Photo by Urugwiro Village.
Economic Sustainability to conduct a comprehensive national distribution of industries which will pave way for an industrial master plan based on suitable zones for location of industries by type especially in the City of Kigali.
Special Economic Zone Kigali Special Economic Zone is a merger of two projects, namely; Kigali Free Trade Zone
and Kigali Industrial Park. With cost of Rwf20, 000 per square metre, the zone sits on 276 hectares of land, and is expected to boost and help diversify economic activity, create jobs, and increase investments in the country. The area that is being developed in phases and has so far attracted numerous companies, both local and foreign; some have already
started operating in the zone. The commercial hub, located in Nyandungu Sector, Gasabo District, is being developed in two phases; first phase is 100 per cent complete, while 30 per cent of work to be done in the second phase is completed. Moving around the big chunk of land, one notices welldeveloped infrastructure with newly-paved tarmac roads. 33 33
The completed part, which covers 98 hectares, has attracted 54 companies–both local and foreign– and it is already fully booked.
Types of industry Alex Ruzibukira, the board chair of Special Economic Zone, and director-general of industry and SMEs department at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, says large establishments are primarily engaged in production and/or processing of wood, beer, soft drinks, tobacco, cement, textiles, tea and coffee.
Responding to challenges Every fast growing economy and industrial sector in particular builds its base on public infrastructures like roads and energy, and security. With safety and security being Rwanda’s definition, and the road network being expanded and redeveloped, what’s seen as a challenge now is the energy or electricity.
Others include chemicals, construction, printing, paper, engineering and methane gas.
Electricity has been identified as the biggest challenge to the growth and performance in Rwanda.
Thus, the economy is heavily dependent on the primary sector, with industry strongly tied to processing of primary products.
However, government and stakeholders have stepped up efforts to avail more sustainable and
According to the site engineer, Aimable Kwitonda, Kigali special zone has been equipped with all the facilities, internet, drainage systems, water and electricity. “We are receiving more companies on a daily basis interested in investing in the zone,” Kwitonda says.
Industry and economic growth The Industrial sector has been growing at annual average of about 10 percent in and around Kigali contributing to more than 5 per cent to the national economy (GDP). Most recently, the City of Kigali has made significant progress in rebuilding its economic and social infrastructure as well as positioning itself internationally as an attractive and safe tourist destination. Tourism is increasingly transforming itself as an entry 34
point for new and growing industrial capacity in Rwanda.
The country which currently produces 112 MW, however, is in the midst of a rapid expansion of its electrical grid and many new plants are proposed or under construction to beat the 105MW peak demand. The country’s power generation targets, according to Energy Private Developers (EPD), currently total to 1163 MW (Hydropower: 333 MW; Geothermal: 310 MW; Methane gas: 300 MW; Peat: 200 MW; Solar PV: 20 MW). EPD launched in November last year, is part of the Chamber of industry under the umbrella of the Private Sector Federation (PSF). It regroups all energy developers and energy connected services professionals in Rwanda and focuses on advocacy of its members, encouraging good collaboration and partnership among members and
attracting foreign companies and investors to work with local companies. Indeed, according to Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), the country has considerable opportunities for energy development – from hydro sources, methane gas, solar and peat deposits putting the amount of untapped resources for power generation to about 1,200 MW. Authorities at the city of Kigali are now working to improve the competitiveness of existing industries, support the emergence of new industries to be able to contribute to the national economic development. They are taking a lead in the process of policy designing, formulation of regulations and strategies on industrial and SMEs development and transfer of technology development. They have to ensure they set up guidelines and mechanisms to identify key industrial opportunities and create a more conducive business environment for the investors. Ensuring the effective implementation of the city’s
We are working hard to support the competitiveness of local industries and promote locally produced products while we establish links and work with stakeholders to improve industrial development not only in Kigali but across the country.
Industrial Master Plan and have it aligned to national strategic industrial frame work remains the ultimate objective. “We are working hard to support the competitiveness of local industries and promote locally produced products while we establish links and work with stakeholders to improve industrial development not only in Kigali but across the country,” Kwitonda says.
Key Achievements The industrial sector comprises more than 15 per cent of national GDP, with construction accounting for more than half of this. Aggregated turnover grew by about 15 percent in the third quarter of 2015 contributing more than Rwf70 billion to the national economy. “The idea is to continue supporting industries both logistical and technical support to expand production, and continued developing the Kigali Special Economic Zone (KSEZ).”
Business opportunities According to Francis Gatare, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the manufacturing sector in Rwanda and City of Kigali in particular is critical in pursuit of key government policies and strategies that are aimed at increasing export revenues and decreasing trade deficits generate off-farm employment, and growth of GDP. And to ensure economic transformation, the EDPRS II targets the industrial (manufacturing, construction and mining) sector to contribute 20% to GDP by 2018 and it requires growing at an annual rate of 14 percent The industrial policy, therefore, aims at increasing domestic production, improving export competitiveness and creating an enabling environment for
industrialization. Pillar two of the Rwanda Private Sector Development Strategy (PSDS) aims at building a more competitive manufacturing sector capable of competing in the EAC, Great Lakes region, using new technologies, improved quality and deepening supply and value chains. The manufacturing sector including agro-processing currently constitutes 43% of the industrial sector and it contributes 7% to GDP. The manufacturing sector is currently dominated by construction materials manufacturing and agroprocessing subsectors, mainly due to local availability of raw materials and the booming construction sector.
Government approach to support and unleash the manufacturing sector potential Through RDB and other government agencies, the manufacturing sector is promoted to ensure growth of the sector by encouraging new investments and supporting the existing companies. And according to Ruzibukira, the idea is to ensure provision of both fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to the sector including export processing zone status which allows zero corporate tax to manufacturing investors meeting the special economic zone policy. “Recapturing the domestic market strategy that aims at identifying subsectors with import substitution potential and then support for local sourcing while offering technical assistance to manufacturing companies to ensure competitiveness and growth remains government’s top priority,” says Ruzibukira.
More efforts to industrialize the city Recently, government signed a cooperation agreement with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). The five-year country framework is expected to contribute to Rwanda’s development programmes like Vision 2020 and second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II). It will mainly focus on five areas namely; Industrial policy and support to special economic zones; agro-value addition and food processing; human capital for industrialization and economic transformation; environment management; as well as energy development for productive use.
Most recently, the City of Kigali has made significant progress in rebuilding its economic and social infrastructure as well as positioning itself internationally as an attractive and safe tourist destination.
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Sustainable Urbani Is Making Kigali A V F or many years, ICT has been at the centre of the economic development agenda of Rwanda and the City of Kigali in particular. This is because government and its stakeholders believe that improving access to ICT has multiplier effects on the economy. Overall, the ICT industry continues to be one of the top attractions to local and foreign investors in Rwanda as well as one of the fast rising contributors to Rwanda’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
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According to statistics from the Ministry of Youth and ICT, ICT attracted investments worth US$61 million in 2015, majority of them settling in the City of Kigali, and it is further projected to rake in up to US$120 million worth of new investments. ICT investments mostly come from the telecom sector and the expansion of 3G and 4G networks in the country. More benefits from the ICT sector are expected from the operationalisation of Kigali Innovation City Project to be located in Masoro, which will be home to ICT-related firms, as well as the establishment of the ICT innovation fund.
Investments
Players in the sector say there has been growth in opportunities for the local business community in Kigali in the ICT industry. Alex Ntale, the Executive Director of the ICT Chamber of the Private Sector Federation (PSF) says the Kigali’s improvement of the ICT ecosystem has greatly facilitated the emergence of new firms.
“There has been an increase of over seven internet service providers in the last 3 years all hinged on 4G Internet,” Ntale says, adding, “This in itself has increased internet access to the
ization: How ICT Viable Economy business community whether in ICT or not. The Smart Africa Alliance that was launched is also opening up opportunities for Rwandan companies to do business in the member countries.�
boosting competitiveness of the sector. Among local firms that have grown from such partnership is Vision Technologies, which is now a regional distributor for Samsung products.
The Smart Africa Alliance, whose continental headquarters are also in Rwanda, comprises several African countries and institutions committed to promote information communication and technology as a driver for socio-economic growth.
Facebook, one of the global ICT players has also entered into a deal with the Rwandan government to develop an online education experience for university student especially in the City of Kigali.
For example, the private sector has established partnerships with multinationals to harness the business opportunities within the industry thus
The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) estimates that ICT investments over time have risen to more than $150 million with a large number of them based in Kigali.
This has come with opportunities in terms of job creation, skills, and efficiency in terms of service delivery. Jean Philbert Nsengimana, the Minister of Youth and ICT believes such investments and partnerships will eventually contribute to the nation’s ambitions of becoming an ICT hub in the region. The government is strategically reaching out to potential investors with a number of incentives to grow and expand its ICT industry, says Minister Nsengimana. Beyond the promotion of the ICT sector, there are ongoing initiatives to boost Smart Kigali campaign which is aimed at
Investiment in fibre optic cables has brought faster internet in the City of Kigali. 37 37
modernising the lifestyle of the city dwellers and visitors through use of ICT for better service delivery. Smart Kigali has so far enabled provision of free broadband Wi-Fi Internet access in public places that include commercial buildings, bus stations, airport, in public transport buses and cabs, and improved internet connectivity and access. Other major developments that have been experienced in the ICT include; improving connectivity through the 4G LTE. Through a partnership between the Government of Rwanda and Korea Telecom, the founders of Olleh Rwanda Networks, Rwanda was among the first countries on the continent to launch 4G internet connectivity on a commercial basis. The network that is being accelerated in Kigali is expected to cover 95 per cent of the population by 2017, with the city currently choking the bigger percentage of the current 30 percent. In socio-economic transformation, the ICT sector has facilitated the development of other sectors as well as provision of services by other
38 38
agencies in and around the City. Among the sectors that adopted ICT in the rollout of their services is the financial sector that is adopting the cashless economy, which encourages the public to utilize the multiple payment systems available, including mobile money. Statistics indicate that in 2015, the value of mobile money transactions reached Rwf7.6billion up from Rwf1.4 billion in 2012. Majority of these transactions are done in the City of Kigali. Mobile payments were mainly used for cash-in, cash-out and transfer services, representing significant percentages of all values transacted. Equally, ICT has played a significant role in improving accountability, efficiency and openness through Rwanda Online Platform Ltd, which is among the new online firms changing the face of service delivery in Rwanda. Dubbed ‘Irembo,’ Rwanda Online Platform Ltd was contracted by the government to build, host and manage about 100 government services online, now offers online registration for provisional and definitive driving tests, application for a birth and
marriage certificates and application for a criminal record certificate. Didier Nkurikiyimfura, the former Director-General of ICT in the Ministry of Youth and ICT, believes that the growth in technology especially internet penetration is facilitating the adoption of e-government services currently being rolled out by the Rwanda online Platform among other services. He says affordability of internet services is a private sector driven initiative brought about by competition for customer loyalty. Nkurikiyimfura says that the implementation of the Smart Africa Manifesto and the recently adopted Smart Rwanda Master Plan will further accelerate the sector’s growth and its impact across other sectors. In January 2016, Rwanda topped the list of African nations with most affordable internet, according to a new index by Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI). “The country’s broadband connectivity especially in Kigali City has become a key competitive differentiator in the global economy. We have made significant progress towards integration of ICT in sectors such as health, education, agriculture, as well as business and finance,” notes Minister Nsengimana . The progress particularly in Kigali is attributed to the competition brought about by multiple players and the introduction of digital cellular technology, coupled with competitive tariffs with major players constantly coming up with new discount schemes to gain competitive advantage. Patrick Nsenga, a local ICT entrepreneur, believes competition among local internet service providers
will help boost the quality of internet services and make it more affordable. Przemek Praszczalek, the deputy programme officer of USAID, believes Rwanda and the City of Kigali in particular has made progress in the sector in the last decade with milestones like 4G roll out. “This being a forum to evaluate the progress achieved so far and to identify the challenges and opportunities, it is important to commend the progress that Rwanda has been able to make over the past years most of which have had an impact beyond the country,� Praszczalek says. Experts believe growing digital lifestyle and technology uptake across in the City of Kigali require corporations to have new business models that create value for consumers at the same time have valuable revenue streams. Players in the ICT sector say for corporations and startups to make the most of the technology uptake, the new operating models will require provision of unique digital content, exceptional customer experience and superior digitized platforms. And to develop the new effective business models, the corporations and startups have been advised to first invest in understanding their markets. Michel Bezy, the associate director at Carnegie Mellon University Rwanda, says startups and corporations require understanding a society, its problems and practices in order to pursue the underlying opportunities. Bezy adds that solutions and developments presented by the start-ups should be able to tackle day-to-day concerns of communities. Among the corporations cited
as having studied the market well enough and tailored their intervention accordingly is credit loaning solution by SMS Media, which enables mobile subscribers of various telecommunication firms to acquire airtime on credit basis and repay it on the next top up.
Ongoing Projects in Kigali The City of Kigali in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and ICT, Rwanda Utilities and Regulatory Agency (RURA), Olleh Rwanda Networks (oRn), Telecom Network Solutions Provider Ltd (TNSP), RFTC, Kigali Bus Service and Royal Express, recently launched the Internet Bus Project as part of Smart Kigali initiative. Smart Kigali initiative aims at modernizing the lifestyle of the city dwellers and visitors through use of ICT for better service delivery. The initiative is designed to among others provide free Wi-Fi access in public places including public transportation vehicles. The pilot Internet Bus Project had started with free 4G LTE WI-Fi access in five buses and its success saw the latest high end internet version rolled out to 487 buses in Kigali
The network that is being accelerated in Kigali is expected to cover 95 per cent of the population by 2017, with the city currently choking the bigger percentage of the current 30 percent. 39
Improving and Impacting Change on Policy Issues in Rwanda Through Research, Dialogue and Policy Analysis Rwanda that brings together key economic mindsets on issues like inequality, crime among others. This is either done through policy or
research and analysis to create a pool community for economic policy researchers
of improving the lives and well being of Rwandans, decision-making, and provide a forum for vibrant policy debate in the country. IPAR-Rwanda seeks to strengthen the evidence base available to government, civil society, and development partners about the pressing social,
research methods, research coaching and mentorship, work place placements, learning tours and joint research projects to support provide evidence for economic policy
development of the Country.”
Some Of IPAR’s Achievements As A Think Tank In Rwanda Include;
IPAR-Rwanda also seeks to build the capacity of professionals in policy analysis, and to disseminate ideas through workshops and conferences.
IPAR’s Research Themes Are;
Agriculture,
Rural
Development
and
policy makers to discuss and come up with
research conference that brings together Researchers, stakeholders and policy makers, where selected quality research papers are presented.
Some of the research projects conducted by IPAR that have contributed to new planning, reshaping departments include:
Governance and democracy
Environment management
and
natural
resources
IPAR’s Senior Researcher, Aime Tsinda states that “IPAR carries out research that has a great
journals that have been published include;
•
Dialogue and Consensus in Rwanda: The Mechanisms for Dialogue and Consensus.
•
IPAR has supported the establishment and
• • • • •
into Labour Markets in Rwanda Markets of HMP family program Poor Customer Service and its Impact on the Rwandan Economy Enterprises (SMEs) in Rwanda
Some of these reports are published on the IPAR website and can be accessed at;
Contact us: The Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR-Rwanda) Kimihurura, Street KG 627 St Building 4, P.O. Box 6005 Kigali-Rwanda, Tel: (250) 789 099 704, E-mail:info@ipar-rwanda.org, www.ipar-rwanda.org
Social sector Development
41
Stakeholders Increas Affordable Housing in
A
s Rwanda transits into a middle income country, the number of people moving to the capital for labor continues to grow. With the most majority of the city migrants being low income earners, this automatically translates into high demand for affordable shelter. Indeed, an EU funded research conducted by the City of Kigali, Rwanda Housing Authority
42
(RHA) and the Ministries of Infrastructure and Finance in 2012 dubbed “Housing Market Demand, Housing Finance, and Housing Preferences for the City Of Kigali� indicates that the total housing requirements in Kigali by 2022 are projected to be 458,265 Dwelling Units.
344,068 dwelling units between 2012 and 2022. To address the demand, there are different categories of housing that have been identified, according to household income and financing, within new housing demand.
These requirements could be met by maintaining part of the existing 114,197 dwelling units housing stock that is in good condition or upgradeable plus building of new 344,068 dwelling units, thus reducing the housing demand to
Social housing, with units that are ‘totally subsidized stands at 12.62 percent of new dwelling units; affordable housing at 54.11% of new dwelling units (housing which needs some support but that could be off-loaded to
se Efforts To Provide n the City of Kigali end-users through a rental or rent-to-own mechanism); midrange housing at 32.80% of new dwelling units (housing for middle-income households, with potential access to mortgage financing) and premium housing at 0.47% of new dwelling units (housing for higher income households that already has access to bank loans and traditional mortgage financing). Fatou Dieye, an expert in affordable housing and a Team Leader for Neighborhood and Affordable Housing Development Unit at the city
of Kigali, says that since the highest demand is in affordable housing, meeting the demand is possible. She says international standard qualifies an affordable house as one that costs less than 30% of a household’s monthly income. “We’ve constructed about 1,000 dwelling units per year since 2010, but what remains a concern is whether they fit within the right income bracket,” says Dieye. The ‘Housing Market Demand, Housing Finance, and Housing
Preferences for the City Of Kigali’ research further indicates that according to the income status, those that need an affordable house have an income that is less than Rwf200, 000. “The Market Study estimated that between 2012 and 2022, 34,000 new dwelling units should be constructed per year in order to meet the population growth targets. These 34,000 units are across all categories, from social to high-end housing,” she says. With regards to the mapping 43
of where affordable houses can be constructed, the city Master Plan is based on a land use plan that has area designated for residential construction. On top of that, there are zoning regulations that control bulk and density. There is a zoning classification that is specifically reserved for the so-called affordable housing that has sufficient density to drive down the cost of the house by maximizing the use of the land. According to Dieye, “The Master Plan is laid out in two phases, 2025 and 2040. In the first phase, areas of Gahanga, Kinyinya and Ndera should be the site of housing developments. The second phase has areas like Masaka. This is linked to the infrastructure, transportation master plan phasing.” One of the 5 major points of the Kigali City Master Plan is to provide quality affordable housing and increase ownership. The Master Plan was laid out to promote transit oriented
A housing estate in the City of Kigali. 44
development that services new mixed-use, mixed-income residential neighborhoods. This is the basis for much of the land use planning that exists in the master plan. “We are also testing a pilot in middle income housing in Batsinda II with eligibility criteria set in place to ensure that the houses get delivered to civil servants,” says Dieye. Batsinda II Housing Project, a joint project between Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB), City of Kigali, the ministries of infrastructure and Defense was launched in February 2015. In addition to new construction, the City of Kigali is piloting Rwanda’s very first project in urban upgrading of a dense residential neighborhood. The idea is to provide infrastructure improvement and guidance for owners and tenants on how to maximize the value of their land. The pilot project area comprises 4,000 households – roughly 19,000
residents. The project is to be done as part of a larger Rwanda Urban Development Project, financed by a loan from the World Bank. The total investment into Kigali’s pilot project is estimated at US$10million.
The Market Study estimated that between 2012 and 2022, 34,000 new dwelling units should be constructed per year in order to meet the population growth targets. These 34,000 units are across all categories, from social to high-end housing.
SPERANZA GROUP LTD
GOLDEN SHERRY
BLUE HILLS VODKA
MILLENIUM HILLS WHISKY
SPERANZA WARAGI
SUPER GIN NO1
SPERANZA WARAGI
SPERANZA COFFEE RUM
Fresh Taste, Affordable For Everyone. available in the region. Certi�ication of our products is underway with Rwanda Standards Bureau(RSB). After relocation to Kigali Special Economic Zone, the company shall get its products and systems ISO certi�ied. The company is well managed with a quali�ied and professional team with clear commitment and vision.
SGL currently produces seven liquor brands namely:
MISSION
Alcohol is not for consumption by persons below 18 years.
SPERANZA GROUP LTD (SGL) is one of the leading companies that manufactures and distributes alcoholic beverages in Rwanda. Registered as an agro-processing industry, SGL was established in 2012 and currently has two plants; one at Samuduha, Kabeza and another one at Kimihurura in the City of Kigali. Since its year of incorporation, SGL has brought together technology, innovation and commitment to produce a wide range of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages with quality in order to meet its objectives. ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS
• • • • • • •
SUPER GIN, SUPER GIN N01 SPERANZA COFFEE RUM SPERANZA WARAGI GOLDEN SHERRY BLUE HILLS VODKA MILLENIUM HILLS WHISKY
NON-ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS SGL also produces non-alcoholic products namely: • •
SPERANZA MANGO JUICE SPERANZA ORANGE JUICE
VISION
To become a leading, trusted and innovative manufacturer and distributor of beverages in the region that add value and continuous growth to all stakeholders. To continuously explore opportunities that create value and make a difference in our products, with concern for the environment and people so as to meet and exceed the needs of our esteemed Customers, Employees, Suppliers and Shareholders.
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Since its year of incorporation, SGL has brought together technology, innovation and commitment to produce a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages with quality in order to meet its objectives.
FUTURE PROSPECTS
SGL has acquired plot No16 at Kigali Special Economic Zone where it plans to relocate all the plants to be under one roof. The company also plans to introduce Carbonated Soft Drinks (CDS) and Mineral water production and distribution in the near future. The company is equally exploring opportunities
P.O BOX 1210, KK 18 AV, 238 After Kanombe Sector, Rubilizi cell, Kicukiro District Tel: +250788301623 Email:speranza963@gmail.com www.speranzarwanda.com 45
Kigali Sees Rapid Increase In Turns Focus on Boosting The 46
n Education Infrastructure, he Quality Of Education 47
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he City of Kigali has embarked on implementing reforms in the Education sector in order to improve the quality of the Education that responds to the market demand. These reforms include easy acquisition of required documents to start a school that saw the establishment of new schools, construction of new classrooms to accommodate the rising school enrolment especially under 9 and 12-Year Basic Education programmes, as well as teachers’ quarters and improving teaching environment methods to accommodate inclusive learning. “We put emphasis on highstandard education, teacher training, employability, experience and qualification of teachers while the attention is to move away from traditional teaching methods to a more learner-centred approach,” says Martha Yankurije, Education Officer in the City of Kigali. Yankurije says to deliver to the expectations, the city focuses on three key development areas, including: Infrastructure, Access to quality Education and Development of the curriculum that encourages the culture of reading in schools as a key element to bolster learner centred learning. She adds: “We are developing a reading culture among the children and we are currently observing an improvement when we compare with previous years although this is partly hampered by the advancement of technology as children seem to be taken up by television or movies. But we are expanding access
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to learning opportunities to improve the quality and relevance at pre-primary and secondary education levels.” Between 2011 and 2015, in the City of Kigali, 675 classrooms, 1,068 toilets, 35 teachers’ quarters, 15 libraries and 27 school auditoriums were constructed, an indication of yet another milestone in provision of inclusive quality education. “We strongly believe that to improve the required quality of education in schools, you need to study in a clean environment and to do so, the schools must have toilets to maintain hygiene,” she says. But as the country ushers in the use of technology, the City of Kigali introduced the ‘Smart Kigali Initiative’ to encourage use of technology in all the sectors within the city. Portable Smart Devices are being used to transform the work environment and easy access to education content, facilitating peer-to-learning, and exchange of skills by teachers to transfer knowledge. “We are doing this through reading competitions and awarding the best students in schools. When you reward the best, the others will also be tempted to put in more effort so that they can be the award winners next time. This way, we have seen progress in the reading culture,” she adds. Beyond this, the City of Kigali has gone further to establish direct partnership with book publishers to make sure that school libraries are fully stocked with “reading materials to avoid empty shelves and to deliver books in time to avoid bureaucracy and delays.” “A lot of improvement has
been made in the City of Kigali compared with other remote provinces and we are sure in the next two to four years, the quality of education will improve immensely in the City of Kigali,” Yankurije explains, adding that there are still some budget constraints that the city council is still reviewing to maintain the tempo. One of the new schools in Kigali is ‘Kigali Greater Heights School (KGHS) located in Masoro, Gasabo District, which runs both Nursery and Primary sections. Started in 2014, the school has managed to build 14-classroom blocks in addition to an administration block and fully stocked library, thanks to the eased process to start a school, says Faustin Mugisha, the Director of the school. “As a private school, we abide by the city and the Ministry of Education directives ensuring that each class has enough number of constant teachers ready to support the right sum of children in each class to avoid under staffing,” says Mugisha. He adds: “We need the children to grasp well what they are taught and in that case, we recruited skilled and experienced teachers from the
A lot of improvement has been made in the City of Kigali compared with other remote provinces and we are sure in the next two to four years, the quality of education will improve immensely.
East African region so that we produce competent students that will compete at the international labour market.” Mugisha further says that as part of promoting the reading culture, the school encourages and facilitates pupils to use the library and teachers are also always there to help and summarize stories in the easiest way possible for the pupils to fully understand. This strategy has encouraged the pupils not only to develop a reading culture but also to recite and tell stories, which they are fond of lately. Yankurije says that new schools like Kigali Greater Heights School are a solution the communities in the neighbourhoods where they are located. This, she says, also helps to improve access to education,
which is a right for everyone. To James Muvunyi, who lives in the same neighbourhood with KGHS, the opening of the school was an answer to the neighbourhood as parents would incur high transport charges to send their children to schools that were far away from this neighbourhood.
the school with raw food stuffs which are prepared for pupils to eat and selling required curriculum materials to pupils.
“Since the opening of Kigali Greater Heights School in our neighbourhood, I have ceased to send my seven-year old child to other schools far from here. This has of course come with much joy because the cost of transport was very high thus making Education costly,” Muvunyi said, adding, “I must say that I share this joy with many parents here.” Mugisha says neighbourhood communities have equally benefited through employment as casual workers, supplying
Pupils of Epac Primary School in the City of Kigali. Photo by Urugwiro Village
We put emphasis on high-standard education, teacher training, employability, experience and qualification of teachers while the attention is to move away from traditional teaching methods to a more learnercentred approach.
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Keeping the City Watered, Kigal
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ater supply in the City of Kigali has increased over the recent past, thanks to an increase in water production that has kept most parts of the city with consistent water supply unlike in the past when water would be available only in a few days of the week and for a limited number of hours. With a population slightly above 1.1 million people, rising urbanization of above 9 percent annually, increased industrialization and other business activities, the City of Kigali needs consistent water supply, with
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the current demand estimated at 110,000 cubic meters per day. However, Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC), a government entity charged with water production and distribution says that water supply in the City has increased in the past five years, from 65,000 cubic meters to 90,000 cubic meters, thanks to Nvove II water plant launched in March 2016. Chief Executive Officer of WASAC James Sano puts water supply in the City of Kigali into perspective. He says that the plan is to ensure that the City of Kigali addresses the water supply bottlenecks by 2017. However, this will mean upgrading the capacities of the
current water plants to meet the target. He says that the recently launched Nzove II will be upgraded to generate another 15,000 cubic meters in 2016, bringing the total water production capacity to 105,000 cubic meters only for the City of Kigali. Nzove I, which pumps 25,000 cubic meters of water, will also be upgraded to increase its production capacity to 40,000 cubic members, something that will continue to boost the water supply in the City of Kigali. It is hoped that water supply in the City of Kigali will be higher than the current demand of 110,000 cubic members by 2017, which means even if demand increases; the supply will still be enough.
President Kagame(C) at Nzove II Water Plant. Photo by Village Urugwiro.
ali Gets Increased Water Supply
Nzove II Water Plant. Photo by Village Urugwiro.
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Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital is one of the crucial investments in the health sector in the City of Kigali.
Investment in Essential Health Facilities Keep Kigali’s Population Healthy
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wanda’s Health Sector Policy translates the Government’s overall vision of development in the health sector as set out in Vision 2020 and the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II 20132018).
The new Health Sector Policy takes into account new orientations in the national development agenda and changes in the socio-economic and epidemiologic situation of the Rwandan population and in the institutional environment of the country and specifically in 52
the health sector. Over the years, the City of Kigali has translated these policies into practice, decentralizing quality health care services at all levels. Patricie Mukangarambe, the Director of Public Health and Environment Unit in the City of Kigali says Kigali has either established a hospital or revamped the existing one in each of the three districts – Kicukiro, Nyarugenge and Gasabo. The Public Health and Environment Unit of the City of Kigali works towards a functioning healthy people in a healthy city, and is charged with promotion of health
standards especially tracking down the spread of diseases through enhancing hygiene, community awareness, prevention and treatment of diseases especially HIV/AIDS. “Now, each district has District hospital and District pharmacy; at least each sector has a health center. In partnership with private sector, City of Kigali also has private clinics, dispensaries and pharmacies,” Mukangarambe says. According to Mukangarambe, her office conducts regular clinical supervision to ensure that the national health policies are implemented and
respected. “We initiated programmes that support the health and environment unit in Kigali city Council through capacity building, equipping hospitals in the city and mobilizing for environmental health,” she adds. “In the past five years alone(2011-2015), we have constructed one hospital – Masaka in Kicukiro, seven health centers, 18 health posts, built three district pharmacies and five post-secondary (For PF). We increased the use of information technology in health – Health Management Information System (HMIS) – used at 100 percent in all public health facilities,” says Mukangarambe. Meanwhile, four of the seven health centers are modern ones constructed in Kanyinya, Gatenga, Remera and Nyarurenzi, and according to Kigali city plan, these standardized health centers will in the near future offer other medical packages offered by district hospitals. Jean Claude Nteziryayo, the in-charge of Kanyinya health centre believes the medical facility has impacted the lives of people in the area and around, who used to walk long distances in search for health services. “There is a big turn up since this health centre started in August 2013, and this brings a feeling of the shortcomings the residents were encountering walking long distances to the nearest health centre,” says Nteziryayo. Kanyinya is an answer to about 21,000 area residents, but Nteziryayo says it also receives patients from Kigali Sector and those from the neighboring district of Kamonyi. “When we started we were receiving about six expecting mothers but the number is
increasing monthly because at the moment, we receive over 20 of them,” he notes. According to Nteziryayo, the centre which offers maternity, family planning and treats infectious diseases like HIV/ AIDS, among others, receives majority malaria patients. To Judithe Uwineza, a mother of three and an area resident, Kanyinya health centre facilitates the culture of savings, since they no longer dig deep in their pockets to travel to either Kamonyi or in other distant health centers for treatment. “I gave birth to my two last children from this health centre, and I can testify that it has saved us a lot in terms of time, money and even more knowledge on services like family planning and positive living or protecting unborn from getting infected by HIV positive mothers,” says Uwineza. According to Uwineza, some expecting mothers previously opted for unsafe birth due to financial constraints or ignorance, at times some of them losing their lives or the life of the new born baby. The City of Kigali currently boosts of ten hospitals, five of them being referral, three district hospitals while two others are privately owned. Others are 36 health centers, 31 health posts (13 public health posts and 18 private health posts); 39 clinics and polyclinics (31 clinics and 8 polyclinics). City authorities also put in place specific programmes to address malaria, HIV and tuberculosis, among other diseases. “All these epidemics are addressed according to the national health policies, at community level, health centers and in hospitals,” says Mukangarambe
By the end of 2015, HIV/AIDS prevalence in Kigali stood at 7.3 percent of the total 3 percent countrywide. Kigali city also stands at 88.1 percent currently in terms of subscribing to the public medical insurance scheme – Mutuelles de Sante – and Mukangarambe says they intend to increase the awareness to achieve 100 percent target in the near future. “As the City of Kigali, we have a grand strategy of reducing the death rate – maternity and birth death rates, equip health facilities with all the necessities and increase the number of health providers at all levels and ensure construction of modern safe toilets. In partnership with the private sector, we are reinforcing hygiene standards at all levels, partly through construction of public toilets to the sector level and public places,” explains Mukangarambe. “We are looking at increasing the accessibility of water and increase applicability of hygiene standards at community and household levels, and in all public places.”
The City of Kigali currently boosts of ten hospitals, five of them being referral, three district hospitals while two others are privately owned. Others are 36 health centers, 31 health posts, 39 clinics and polyclinics. 53 53
In the fight against poverty, Kigali’s Vulnerable Groups Are Not Left Behind
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hrough cooperatives, the City of Kigali has transformed the lives of women and youth through job creation and establishing conducive work places for them.
According to a report of activities carried out in the last five years by the City of Kigali, at least 1,100 small women entrepreneurs in Kigali were trained in project planning , project management and working with banks. “The training helped women to improve commercial work, and most of trainees joined the program of saving and credit in banks and microfinance,” states the report. The report also states that, the National Women Council (NWC) in partnership with the City of Kigali helped in funding women in order to help them with start-up capital and at least 56 cooperatives were supported with Rwf197million. Most of the supported cooperatives consist of former street vendors, whose lives have changed leading them to leave streets, and it increased their families’ financial capability and welfare. Equally, in partnership with the NWC, every year, the City of Kigali provides support to orphans, widows, and 54
widowers of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis. In the same framework, each year, the City of Kigali visits and donates essential goods such as food, cows, bed sheets and clothes to various orphans.
At least Rwf 40 million worth of donations have been made. This gesture by the City of Kigali creates hope of life among the orphans and it is aimed at helping them to avoid feeling lonely and isolated. In the past three years, the City of Kigali started the monthlong charitable cause in which the youth offer their support to the various causes such as cleaning some parts if the city and building houses for vulnerable citizens. In 2013 alone, the youth donated Rwf 300 million to the orphans of genocide against the Tutsi in the City of Kigali while in 2015 the youth bought health insurance to 1,000 vulnerable citizens in the City. According to the report, six projects led by the youth in the three Districts of the City of Kigali received financial support worth Rwf45 million and these helped to create more jobs for other youth. Umutoniwase, a former street vendor is one of the beneficiaries of the financing program. She has since moved to operate in the City Market, former Nyarugenge
Market. In partnership with the National Women Council, the City of Kigali trained Umutoni along with other former street vendors in the field of business management. Umutoniwase says: “I’m grateful to the City of Kigali because it helped me to leave the street and I now have a permanent location where my clients can find me. This kind of support helps the youth and women especially the vulnerable ones to stabilise.” The City of Kigali has also delivered its support especially to women through Agaseke Production Project which focuses on creating and selling Rwandan Handcrafts to the local and international market since 2007. This has also helped to create employment for the women in the city.
Most of the supported cooperatives consist of former street vendors, whose lives have changed leading them to leave streets, increase their families’ incomes and welfare.
Environmental Protection
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UN Affirms the Long Kigali is Africa’s Most
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frica is known for its impressive animals, stunning deserts and beautiful savannahs. When you add astonishing cities and towns that are rich in history and culture, have character, stories and beauty; it simply becomes the best to live in. Less than 25 years ago, the City of Kigali was just another shanty, backyard town known for, pretty much all the wrong reasons. Fast-forward to today, it is one of the most visited capital cities in Africa. At the end of 2015, the United
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Nations (UN) named Kigali as the most beautiful city in Africa. It has also become worldly known as the cleanest and safest capital city in Africa. The green scenery and overlapping hills add to the beautiful allure of the City. It, therefore, comes as no surprise when most conferences and recently sports tournaments choose to be hosted in Rwanda. In 2008, UN Habitat awarded the City of Kigali with the most prestigious human settlements accolade in the world – Habitat Scroll of Honor – Kigali being the first city to win the prestigious award – a plaque engraved with the name of the winner and their achievement –
in Africa at the time. The award was in recognition of Kigali’s cleanliness as a peaceful and secure city. With impressive urban development plans and efficiency in road construction, Kigali has become a well organized and structured city that gives its visitors and inhabitants a feeling of peacefulness and serenity. Indeed, nothing beats the views that you can get from the top of the numerous beautiful hills. Still in 2015, the City of Kigali added another milestone to its pool of achievements, car-free zone, something that city authorities say aims at safeguarding the city’s already
g K n o w n Fa c t : t Beautiful City known achievement of being the green Capital City of Africa. George Kagarama, a professional urban planner says that the first and most important thing that was put in place to transform Kigali into a beautiful city was the Kigali Master Plan. He says when there’s a plan for something, it becomes easy to achieve set targets. “The Kigali Master Plan gave perspective to the dream the government has to make Kigali one of the best cities in the world,” Kagarama urges. “When you have a plan in place,” he says, “it’s easy to know what to do next and how
to do it. It also becomes easy to be questioned in case those targets are not achieved.” He adds that with the plan in place, it helped the city to determine what kind of housing architecture can be used, where one can build and how to organize housing estates. Barbra Cartland, a tourist and urban planner who has been living in Kigali for the past ten years says that long before the master plan was put in place, activities such as Umuganda went a long way in ensuring that a clean city is maintained. “People simply don’t litter, even school children know this too,” Cartland says, adding, “How has this been possible?
The country’s leadership takes this issue seriously and they also participate. President Paul Kagame leads by example; he comes out to do Umuganda himself with other Rwandans, thus setting the standard.” Cartland says that the icing on the cake is the people who don’t take the set policies for granted. “For example, she says, “the banning of polythene bags was the great move that more developed countries are still trying to achieve. That helps the environment to grow and this adds to the beauty of Kigali.”
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Efforts to keep the City of Kigali green and clean have paid handsomely.
Keeping Kigali Clean and G
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leanliness everywhere including streets and well-trimmed green sceneries are a common sight around the City of Kigali. These have made the City popular in the region and beyond.
The City of Kigali has been implementing programs aimed at keeping it clean and 58
green, according to the City Authorities. The City’s Unit in Charge of Public Health and Environment take much of the credit to turn Kigali into a clean and environmentally friendly capital city. The Head of the Environment Unit at the City of Kigali Patricia Mukangarambe says the unit is responsible for monitoring whether measures under Public sanitation, Waste Management, Greening and beautification,
Environment inspection, Public and Community Hygiene and Primary health care are met. Mukangarambe says: “We have ensured the protection of the environment through a number of ways namely: greening open spaces, planting trees and flowers in gardens through Umuganda and other campaigns so as to absorb gas emissions and fighting deforestation in accordance with Kigali City Master Plan.”
Green Remains a Priority “Public awareness campaigns have been a key issue as far as environmental protections is concerned, as well as implementation of these environmental laws.� She adds. The authorities have not only improved access roads or facilitated walkability to decongest the city through efforts like the creation of the first ever car-free zone in the Commercial Business District to ease access on the city by the
pedestrians. Keeping Kigali clean and green policy is part of the city’s master plan for urban planning, aimed at creating space for green environment and natural resources sustainability. When it comes to public sanitation, Makangarambe affirms that efforts have been undertaken to maintain a clean urban environment whereby plastic bags are forbidden
within the country as directed by the Rwanda Environmental Management Authority (REMA).
High Risk Zones Ironically, by working together with Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA), the City of Kigali has resettled residents from high risk zones using a conventional approach of resettling them in modern villages called or Umudugudu, where they can have access to basic 59
infrastructure needs, like electricity, water and roads. The Director General of RHA Engineer Didier G. Sagashya reveals that over 10,000 residents in high risk underdeveloped zones of the city will be resettled this year to areas like Gacuriro, Kinyinya and Batsinda.
Protecting Wetlands With the enactment of the wetland law, the City of Kigali has continued to work closely with other actors to ensure that the wetland areas in the City are protected. Industries which still operate in the Gikondo Industrial Park will also be located to the new special Economic Zone in Masoro, Gasabo District to pave way for the restoration of the Gikondo valley they occupy. Collaborations have been carried out with REMA, Ministry of Trade and Industry, private Sector Federation (PSF) and other stakeholders in the past five years, to oversee the relocation of industries from Gikondo valley to reduce environment sustainability principles. To a great extent, climate change issues have been addressed effectively and mainstreamed into all city activities, policies, programs, plans and budgets. Mukangarambe further notes: “The City of Kigali is an important stakeholder in this process to reduce climate change effects and water related disaster risks and climate impacts like droughts and floods to protect the economy and society.� The city and other stakeholders have enhanced nature storage through wetland rehabilitation, sub-surface water storages and rainwater harvesting. Rehabilitation of these wetlands has created space for storm water and reduces flooding while contributing to national life and 60
plans are underway by the City authorities to create artificial dams for recreation and nature in the city. In the last three years, the City of Kigali also conducted a study with the overall aim of raising awareness about the benefits of using cleaner energies (biodiesel) with the aim of protecting the environment from the dangers of environmentally unfriendly gases.
Pollution
To reduce gas emissions from cars, walking or cycling has been
emphasized since they are great alternatives to driving. Motorists and cars have been given an order to ensure compliance by emission testing conducted by the Rwanda National Police through its vehicle Mechanical Inspection Center in Remera. The city has equally advised churches and entertainment centers to install sound proof devices to avoid noise pollution.
Promotion of Sanitation As part of the effort to promote hygiene and sanitation in the
city, the authorities initiated competitions among sectors and districts. Each winning sectors that won in the three districts were awarded with motorcycles while the district was given a vehicle. Such incentives have played a great role in encouraging the residents both at the sector and district to promote a clean city. In past, one of the main challenges faced when it comes to sanitation was lack of an apt solid waste treatment facility. However each year, the city has constructed 3 ravines, on top of a sewerage system in Central Business District (CBD1) and CBD2 and wastewater treatments. The city has also secured the construction of sanitary public toilets at each petrol station and Eco friendly toilets have been erected in open spaces in the city.
Modern public dustbins have been installed on the City streets.
Public gardens have been created to add beauty and fresh air to the City of Kigali.
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Kigali Serena Hotel: A true 5 Star Hotel in Rwanda Ideally located on one of Kigali's most charming boulevards, the five-star Kigali Serena Hotel is built around a polished granite atrium, which showcases the very best of Rwandese cultural art. Relaxed yet elegant, the hotel features an Executive Lounge and Bar, which opens onto a wide sundeck overlooking the newly refurbished swimming pool. Also overlooking the pool, the popular Milima Restaurant offers a wide range of all-day buffet choices, while the relaxed Sokoni Café offers inside and outside poolside seating. Regarded by many as Kigali’s natural business hub, the hotel also boasts its own extensive conference centre, 500-seater auditorium and lavish ballroom. The hotel is in central Kigali Rwanda, just 10 kilometres from Kigali International Airport. FACILITIES • Wide selection of rooms and suites: all with AC, satellite TV, Wi-Fi and voice-mail
• The Milima Restaurant • The Sokoni Café and Bar • The Executive Lounge and Bar • Swimming pool, pool deck and gardens • The Maisha Health Club • Dedicated conference and social events centre • Business Centre, travel desk, taxi and limousine service • Gift Shop, news-stand and travel requisites kiosk. CONTACT US: Tel: +250 788 184500 Tel: +250 252 597100 Fax: +250 252 597101 Email: kigalireservations@serena.co.rw
Tourism sector
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Flourishing Tourism, B Help Elevate Kigali’s A
O
ver the decades, tourism has experienced continued growth and deepening diversification to become one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world. Modern tourism is closely linked to development and encompasses a growing number of new destinations. These dynamics have turned tourism into a key driver for socio-economic progress.
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Today, the business volume of tourism in Rwanda surpasses that of anything else, making it the country’s top income. It has generated $304.9 million (about Rwf223 billion) since 2014 and its potential continues to grow with more initiatives being put in place by the government through Rwanda Development Board (RDB). To achieve this fete, the Government of Rwanda through its development body – RDB – put in place a wider programme to boost the tourism sector.
Among these are Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events/Exhibitions (MICE) initiative. It was created and launched in 2014 as part of the government’s sevenyear programme to continue building on the achievements in the areas of good governance, justice, economy and social wellbeing.
According to Faustin Karasira, the head of tourism department at RDB, the sector has the ability to contribute immensely towards the development of the economy.
Kigali Convention Center
Bustling Social Scenes Attractiveness Higher “We were asked to diversify and add more business in the tourism sector by leveraging on Rwanda’s success story. We, therefore, established the Rwanda Convention Bureau, which monitors and handles all matters related to the MICE strategy,” Karasira says.
According to the 2014 tourism report, Rwanda hosted 19,085 conference visitors in the same year compared to 15,441 in 2013, an increase of 24 per cent. MICE fetched home revenues worth $29 million (about Rwf21 billion) in its first
year of operation but this was still short of target.
“Our target was $32 million but we didn’t hit it. However, we are optimistic that we shall improve because our target is to make $207 million (about Rwf152 billion) by June 2018, but this is subject to completion of various projects that will add value to the tourism sector,” Karasira said. Although such amounts can be attributed to the overall tourism sector, Kigali city is fast becoming the third tourism
destination after the Northern Province and Western Province. Kigali City was founded in 1907 as a small colonial outpost by Dr. Richard Kandt, the first German colonial resident of Rwanda.
Natural History Museum Dr. Kandt’s residence in the heart of the city has been converted into the ‘Natural History Museum’ in honor of his work. Natural History Museum houses information on Rwanda’s flora, geology and 65
biological history.
International Airport.
Located approximately 10km from Kigali International Airport, the museum is open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. A tour takes roughly 1hr; it will give you an understanding of Rwanda’s biology exhibits which include various indigenous species ranging from birds to exotic reptiles.
The museum gives an overview of Rwanda’s history and a visit to the remains of the Falcon 60 presidential jet that are housed in a walled garden on the property. The double storied building is painted in white and has three sitting rooms on the ground floor, one for the president, the children and the First Lady.
There’s also a part dedicated to the Great Rift Valley and all its tectonic and volcanic activities while another side is reserved for natural resources with a display of minerals available in the country.
Presidential Palace Museum The other museum is the Presidential Palace Museum, residence of the former president of Rwanda, President Juvenal Habyarimana which is located about 5kms off Kigali
The first floor houses three bedrooms, the master bedrooms, the boys and the girls’ bedroom. The master bedroom still has a small dressing table and a bedside real elephant foot-stool which was used by Habyarimana. On the second floor is the TV room that leads to one of the houses’ secrets including exits or escape routes, in case it was deemed necessary. The third floor has the former president’s gym, special private office and
gifts including art pieces and sculptures. The chapel, in which a special prayer was held when Pope John Paul III visited Rwanda, was held, has got two entrances from inside and another on the balcony. However, the museum is not all about the two former Presidents; it also showcases the traditional hair style known as Amasunzu and clothes of Rwanda from as early as 1900.
Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre A visit to Kigali would be incomplete without a tour of Kigali Genocide Memorial Center where 259,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi are laid to rest. This memorial also serves as an education centre about how the inhuman act to exterminate the Tutsi took shape and examines genocides in the 20th century.
KARISIMBI HOTEL Where Fine Dinning Meets Luxury Accommodation
Karisimbi Hotel is located on Kiyovu Hill in a green surrounding, giving guests a perfect ambience for quiet hide away. We offer friendly, stylish and personalised care to all of our valued guests in our 20 deluxe rooms, famous sports bar called Galaxy and a fine dining Chateaubriand Restaurant. Karisimbi is known for the best ‘Chateaubriand steak’ in town. We also have a swimming pool and a well-equipped conference hall facility with the capacity to host 100 guests (theatre style) and 60 people (U shape conference). For reservation, contact: Tel: +250 788 517 073 66info@hotelkarisimbi.com
www.hotelkarisimbi.com
With giant wall displays, archival documents, photos, video footage and weapons encased in glass, the indoor exhibit sheds light on the genocide against Tutsi, and its pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial roots. The room is filled with human skulls and bones. The most heart-wrenching part of the memorial is the children’s memorial room. With each photo, there are details displayed which indicate a child’s favorite hobby, food and in some instances, the last words they uttered before dying. It indicates how each of the babies was killed in an inhuman way. Although Kigali is rich with history housed in museums, it has seen the social scene grow from a once dull town to a vibrant city; the entertainment sector has grown to host concerts, karaoke sessions, night clubs and theme nights.
Booming social scene After the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda’s nightlife was left for dead. Bars closed at 10 pm and thereafter, the city would go dead silent. The earliest clubs to open were Kigali night, Panafric and Cadillac; all defunct now. Later, other clubs such as Casablanca, Delux and Cercle Sportif also came to light but didn’t last long. However, as more people entered the country, foreigners and nationals coming back home, the social scene began getting vibrant. Today, the establishment of up-scale hotels, bars and nightclubs has transformed the city’s social scene. In the past five years, we have seen a number of night spots spring up. Revelers options can vary from the spacious nightclub at Lemigo Hotel to the Kiyovu
based Le must Nightclub and K-Club. Other places include the Kimihurura quadruplets, Sundowner, Papyrus bar and Envy night club, Chapter One and Ogopogo. At Kisementi, there is bevy of bars. The most popular bars are located on what is popularly referred to as the ‘Bars Avenue or entertainment,’ which boosts of 514 bar, Rosty bar, Oyester bar and Fushia bar among others. Kisementi is also a couple of minutes away from Giporoso which offers late night entertainment. Lately, nightlife is also springing up in Giporoso, an area located near the Kigali International Airport. This one is also favored by Kigali’s lowincome earners because it has a sprinkling of pocket friendly bars, lodgings and a nightclub. However, make it a point to visit Nyamirambo; often referred to as the town that never goes to sleep. Talk about having everything; music, photography studios of all kinds, food, alcohol, boutiques and ladies of the night among others. Bars start setting up as early as 3:00pm as the evening crowd begins to set in while roadside fast-foods also set up shop in ‘quartiers’.
Nyamirambo is also known as the birth-place of main stream music by popular musicians such as US-based Meddy, The Ben, Kitoko and Priscilla. It’s also where local musicians like Knowless, Alpha Rwirangira, Jay Polly, King James and Riderman learnt their trade.Besides the bars, we also have a multimillion dollar establishment, Kigali City Tower (estimated at $30 million) that houses a stateof-the art cinema center; Century Cinema. The cinema is equipped with 2D, 3D and 5D movie experiences. The way Kigali’s social scene has grown coupled with its touristic attractions has enabled it to stand out among the major cities that are visited the most on the African continent. With more efforts geared towards maintaining security, cleanliness and orderliness, one can only say that its aim to be a first class city is not too far away.
We were asked to diversify and add more business in the tourism sector by leveraging on Rwanda’s success story. 67
With The Increasing Number of Foreign Nationalities, Chefs in Kigali Now Have A Dish For Every Culture
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f there is one thing the present upsurge in international hospitality brands in Kigali should point to, it is the fact that the struggle is not over yet. The focus just changed from the struggle for peace, to a struggle for prosperity. Increasingly, the need to “hang out” and to partake of the finer things in life is becoming a defining feature of an increasingly burgeoning Kigali metropolis. The Government of Rwanda (GoR) and City of Kigali (CoK), keen on presenting to the world an alternative image to the one left by the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, has been the foremost anchor of this hospitality boom, successfully presenting the country as a tourism-friendly destination. Today, a diner in Kigali City would be spoilt for choice as regards which eatery to visit, let alone what food to settle on. What with the ever-growing number (and diversity) in the fine-dine hospitality sector. The city now boasts not just one, but two gourmet Ethiopian restaurants, while there are increasingly more options for Indian, Belgian, Chinese,
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French, Italian, Greek, Japanese … to mention but a few. At the Century Park Chinese Restaurant in Nyarutarama, part of the ambitious Century Park Hotel and Residences, Seafood –particularly prawns is what sets the establishment apart from most of the competition. For obvious reasons, prawns are not an everyday sighting in Kigali. Rwanda being a land locked country, the closest we can look for the famed sea creatures is Mombasa, in Kenya. Rowland Gurnell, the manager at Century Park Chinese Restaurant contends that though slightly expensive (Rwf25, 000 per plate of prawns) due to the air transportation involved, the trend is catching on:
certain status,” he explains. “Kigali is no longer a city for Rwandans alone. There is a mixture of many different nationalities here today. There are many Ugandans, there are Kenyans, Indians, British, Americans …people from all over the world,” contends Davidson Mugisha, the proprietor of Wildlife Tours Rwanda, an in-bound local Tour and Travel Company. He is of the view that the present culinary diversity in the City of Kigali was inevitable: “I think it all goes back to demand and supply. For the available demand, business people had to open their
“Diplomats, business executives and people who have travelled the world like a treat of prawns because it conveys a Prawns at Century Park Chinese Restaurant in Nyarutarama.
There is even Pilau in Nyamirambo for the Muslims. So the demand was there and people had to find ways of filling that gap, and this in turn brought in diversity.” As a man who globe-trots regularly on business-related trips, Mugisha know what it means to come from, say, the UK, and still find the same quality and diversity of service in Rwanda. “People who are coming in from the diaspora want to continue with the same life and cultures they have seen in other countries. For instance they are fond of coffee and now we have Bourbon Coffee and other coffee shops that meet international standards, which was not the case years ago.” For Mohammed Razak, the executive chef at The Manor Hotel in Nyarutarama, the boom is all down to the conducive investment atmosphere that prevails. “In Rwanda everything is cool
and peaceful, and the country is one of the fastest growing, and this is all because the system of management adopted by the government is extremely honest.”
it’s a clean country with good weather. The rule of law in Rwanda is such that rich and poor are treated equally, and I’ve learnt to not take this for granted.”
Razak joined The Manor Hotel in 2014, his first assignment in Africa after having amassed experience with international brands.
A few yards down the road from the MTN Center in Nyarutarama is the Zen Oriental Restaurant,
He started off as a trainee chef at the Serena Hotel in Pakistan in 1992, and after a two year internship, moved to the Pal Continental Hotel in Laher, Pakistan as a regular chef.
Chef Mohammed Razak of The Manor Hotel.
eyes. That is why we now have Japanese cuisine, Greek, Baganda, French etc.
Between 1995 and 2014, he worked at the Holiday Inn Hotel, still in Laher. But even with a generous annual salary increase and wonderful exposure, he wanted something more out of his professional life, hence the move to far-off Rwanda. “I’ve been here for one-andhalf years, and what I can say is that every day I wake up to meet good, friendly, caring and helpful people. My experience so far is that 69
the local market leader in Oriental cuisine. They do a fusion of Thai, Chinese and Japanese cuisine, and were the first Kigali eatery to introduce Dip Sum, a fancy traditional Cantonese dish that serves with a variety of small delicious steamed or fried buns, dumplings or rice rolls. Melanie Cordero, the manager has seen the high-and-mighty of Rwandan society and the diplomatic community walks through Zen’s doors since its opening in September 2010. Her most notable guest, however, has been the former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has dined at the restaurant on two separate occasions - first in December 2010, then
two years later, in 2012. Her husband, Enrico Cordero is the executive chef at Zen. Melanie’s positive impressions about Rwanda becomes manifest when she traces her journey into the country. Her husband got the Zen offer while working as a chef in Nairobi, and she simply followed him. The couple arrived in Rwanda in September 2010, to set up the restaurant from scratch, and on September 25, a few weeks on, its doors were open. “We had a lot of work to do, but thanks to clear policies with regards to doing business, we spent just three weeks to get everything in order,” she recounts.
Meal time at Century Park Chinese Restaurant in Nyarutarama.
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Kigali is no longer a city for Rwandans alone. There is a mixture of many different nationalities here today. There are many Ugandans, there are Kenyans, Indians, British, Americans … people from all over the world.
DEVELOPMENT WITH IN districts
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Nyarugenge Dis Kigali’s Rise To
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yarugenge District, which has a population of 284, 561 people, is one of the three districts that make up the City of Kigali, and covers an area of 134 square kilometres.
Nyarugenge, also housing the Muhima Central Business District (CBD), a financial and service hub of the City of Kigali, is composed of ten sectors that are grouped into two categories – the urban and peri-urban. The urban sectors are Nyarugenge, Muhima, Kimisagara, Gitega, Rwezamenyo, Nyamirambo and Nyakabanda while the periurban or rural-urban transition sectors are Mageragere, 72
Kanyinya and Kigali. For the last five years (20112015), Nyarugenge, where at least 87.6 percent of the residents take part in Umuganda and conduct annual ‘Open Day’, has lived to the expectations in all levels of development. Between 2011 and 2015, Nyarugenge District realized much of its targets set each year, which are hinged on four government pillars of Economic development, Good governance, Social affairs or improving people’s well-being, and Justice.
Economic Development Nyarugenge District for the past five years attracted 23 big investment projects valued at
a tune of over Rwf300.2 billion. More big commercial facilities being upgraded or face-lifted like the business centre of Matheus and upgrading a market in Nyarugenge Sector continue to give Nyarugenge a magnificent view. In service delivery, Nyarugenge Districts continues to benefit from the Kigali Construction and Urban Planning One Stop Centre at the Kigali City Hall which has helped to ease issuance of building permits using a website something that has prevented graft in the issuance of building permits. A construction permit is issued in a minimum of 21 days from 100 days before the centre was created in 2010. The decentralized office of the notary in all the ten
strict Is Fuelling Greatness
sectors of Nyarugenge District has also helped to improve service delivery to the residents seeking various services including processing construction permits and other documents.
Public Infrastructure Development In Nyarugenge District, a total of 9.639km of new tarmac roads were constructed and 15.3km others with old tarmac upgraded. Another 133.9km of Murram roads, 3.03km of stonepaved roads and 14.7km of pedestrian walkways were also constructed. Peri-urban areas of Taba, Gakoni, Ruharabuge, Karama, Mwendo, Rwesero, Nyarufunzo, Kankuba, Nyarurenzi and
Outgoing Mayor of Nyarugenge District Solange Mukasonga Mataba were connected to the national power grid; 23.3km of roads lit with street lights; 39.5km connected with tapped
water while 2.625km of water channels were constructed. Two new health centres were built in Kanyinya and 73
Nyarurenzi while Muhima hospital and Mwendo health centre were face-lifted. Two health posts were established in Rwampara and Karama while a district pharmacy was built and three laboratories were constructed in Rugarama, Rwampara and Kabusunzu. This, coupled with awareness campaigns, explains why 99.1 percent of mothers in Nyarugenge give birth in health facilities or with the help of medical workers. In an effort to cut government spending on office rent, Nyarugenge District constructed offices of Gitega and Nyakabanda sectors while Nyamirambo Sector offices were renovated. The cells of Mataba, Nyarurenzi, Nyarufunzo, Mwendo, Kigali, Kimisagara, Kamuhoza, Ntungamo and Taba were also built. Six mini-markets were constructed in Nyarurenzi, Karama, Cyivugiza, Gitega, Nzove and Taba. The new Down Town bus
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terminal contributed to the decongestion of the city centre’s traffic while the upgraded Nyabugogo bus terminal plays as a centre for all travel agencies that commute upcountry after they were relocated from the city centre.
Environmental Protection Nyarugenge District has committed itself to protecting and enhancing natural and environmentally sensitive areas from harmful development. This was in line with the national laws, policies and regulations, and implementing an environmental friendly master plan. In line with natural conservation, the District saw 929 hectares of trees planted, 17 green houses constructed in Kanyinya Sector, trees planted along river Nyabarongo, Nyabugogo and Yanze to a stretch of 25km while 3, 518 hectares of terraces were developed in Kigali, Mageragere
and Kanyinya sectors. Equally, 22 biogas digesters were constructed, while 158 households were facilitated to acquire water tanks and the unit in charge of energy saving stoves was established and so far 407 households have received environmentally friendly stoves.
Education Education is one of the top priorities of Nyarugenge District as the district seeks to develop a knowledge-based economy in order to fuel its development. In the education sector, 227 classrooms and 453 toilets were constructed under 9 and 12Year Basic Education, 9 nursery schools were established and 10 teachers’ residences were constructed. Also, the district boosts of 168 school computer laboratories and a total of 927 computers while five libraries and six vocational training schools were constructed.
A total of three football playgrounds in Cyahafi, Karama and Rugarama were created while 5,708 students were given educational support and 63, 031 others in Primary and secondary schools, who include 9, 982 girls, received civic education– Itorero. Boosting Social Protection Social protection plays a crucial role in supporting particular social groups, thereby reducing gender inequality and the intergenerational transmission of poverty. Improving the living standards of the disadvantaged is, therefore, part of Nyarugenge District’s annual programmes as part of the government initiatives in economic development, and it has made satisfactory achievements in its poverty alleviation programmes. For instance, 1, 110 cows were donated under one-cow per household programme in Nyarugenge District while 7196 jobs were created under Vision Umurenge Programme (VUP). Over Rwf233.9 million was spent on financing 1,185 projects of vulnerable groups in all sectors; a total of 244 families of genocide survivors were given shelter and under the Genocide Survivors Fund (FARG), 162 houses were constructed for the genocide survivors while 120 others were renovated; 10 elderly vulnerable people were also given new houses while 10 historically marginalised groups also got shelter.
licence, 20 of them given training on ‘Business Plan’. Two SACCO facilities were constructed in Kigali and Mageragere sectors while in Kinyinya it is in completion stages and a total of 28.911 new members joined the financial inclusion programme while Sacco’s loans between 2010 and 2015 increased to about Rwf3, 3 billion. In partnership with FARG, 162 income generating projects were given starting fund in the Nyarugenge District.
In Nyarugenge District, a total of 9.639km of new tarmac roads were constructed and 15.3km others with old tarmac upgraded. Another 133.9km of Murram roads, 3.03km of stone-paved roads and 14.7km of pedestrian walkways were also constructed.
Youth Empowerment Out of 3, 381 people who were given jobs under VUP, 90% of them were the youth; 34 youth cooperatives composed of about 950 members were given financial support amounting to over Rwf 51 million; 18,342 youth sensitized on positive living in which 12396 voluntarily tested for HIV; the youth in Nyarugenge donated 16 heifer to genocide survivors while 220 youths were facilitated to acquire vocational training at Iwawa. Despite these achievements, Nyarugenge District remains focused to implement the District Master plan and further cut the current 8.4 percent extreme poverty and 19.9 poverty rates.
Under job creation programme, six projects were given financial loan amounting to Rwf94 million while 542 people were given funds to start income generating business and a free-rent grace period to build strong business roots. A total of 253 cooperatives were awarded operational 75
High rise buildings in Nyarugenge District, the Central Business district of Kigali. 76
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Gasabo District:
Transforming Kigali’s Semi-Urban Areas
Gasabo District Headquarters in Kacyiru. Below is the Mayor, Stephen Rwamurangwa.
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asabo District is one of the three districts of the City of Kigali.
witnessed considerable transformation, registering impressive achievements in social, economic and governance sectors thus transforming its semiurban Sectors into booming residential and commercial hubs. Notable achievements were registered in infrastructure development, education, health, commerce, agriculture and environment.
Covering a total area of 429.209 Square kilometers or 58% of the total area occupied by the City of Kigali, Gasabo District is further composed of 15 Administrative Sectors, 73 Cells and 482 Villages. Gasabo District is home to the Offices of High Government Organs, starting from the Office of the President, the Parliament—both the Chamber of the Deputies and the Senate— the Supreme Court, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Head Quarters of National Security Organs— Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF) and the Rwanda National Police(RNP). It is also home to 78
Infrastructure Development the most of Government Ministries in addition to other important features such as the Amahoro National Stadium, Kigali Special Economic Zone, the National Heroes Mausoleum, and Kigali Convection Center. From 2011 to 2015, Gasabo
Gasabo District invested heavily in the development of critical infrastructures that are essential to the development of other activities, with emphasis on roads, water, electricity, and bridges. According to the district’s report of achievements for the period
2011-2015, a total of 3,921 households received water during this period. The district also brought electricity to116, 271 households out of the target of 137,146 households that will receive electricity by 2017/2018.
Nduba-Gasabo- NtarabaRulindo and Nduba-GasaboNyagisozi-Rulindo bridges.
against a target of 45,000 cows.
Agricultural Development
In the implementation of the Kigali City Master Plan, especially in settling the residents in planned settlements, 25 collective estates (Imidugudu) with a total of 13,257 plots on a total area of 820.04 hectares were developed. The district also prepared 13 collective settlements with 27,164 plots on a total area of 1,635 hectares. Through One Stop Center for Construction, the district facilitated residents and investors to get land and construction related approvals, something that boosted housing development and investment in the district.
Striving to reduce traffic jam due to the increasing number of vehicles in the City of Kigali,
More than a half of 15 Sectors of Gasabo District are considered to be in the rural area. The residents in these sectors depend on agriculture for most of their development. In order to increase agricultural production, especially targeting maize and beans in the district, land consolidation was prioritized. The District also focused on improving banana farming. In the fight against soil erosion, 443.08 hectares of terraces were created out of a target of 300.
a total of 2 7.375 kilometers of tarmac roads were constructed and 28.761kilometers of cobblestone roads were constructed in Gasabo District in the period 2011-2015. To promote trade and movements within the district, a total of 5 bridges were constructed. These bridges connect the areas of KarurumaGisozi, Cyuga-Jali, Cyuga II-Jali,
Under One Cow Per Household Program (Gir’inka Munyarwanda), the district distributed 1,320 cows out of a target of 900 cows, exceeding the target by 146.6%. Equally, to boost livestock farming with emphasis on cows, 8,268 cows were artificially inseminated against a target of 13,175 cows. The district also vaccinated 38,645 cows
During the same period, in Gasabo District, 104 biogas digesters were constructed out of the targeted 136 digesters. Through public awareness, the residents of Gasabo District built 2,380 energy saving stoves, which was 238% higher than the targeted 1,000 energy saving stoves.
Land and Housing
Environmental Protection Protecting the environment was a top priority for Gasabo District in the period 20112015. During this period, the district forest cover increased significantly where 3,117,775 trees were planted on a total
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area of 3,083.24 hectares. The planted trees include those for decorative purpose, others that are mixed with crops and others for construction and timber production.
Trade, Investment and Cooperative Development A total of Rwf14.9 billion was invested in Gasabo District by the Private Sector in various economic activities to promote economic development of the District. Six cooperatives with 1,657 members involved in various commercial activities were facilitated to build their permanent buildings to further stabilize their businesses. Five of the buildings of these cooperatives were completed. In promoting a culture of savings, 15 Umurenge Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) were facilitated to get definitive license from the National Bank of Rwanda
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(BNR). To promote trade, the district also constructed markets and selling points. A modern market—Gikomero Market—was constructed while Kimironko market was renovated and a total of 7 Selling Points were constructed thus helping to relocate over 1,500 mobile vendors from streets to these Selling Points in secure places.
Education From 2011 to 2015, Gasabo District bolstered education sector. The number of nursery schools increased to 110 in 2015, primary schools stood at 97, while schools with 9 and 12 Year Basic Education were 22. The District also had 10 TVET schools, 2 schools of excellence, and 1 incubation center. During this period, the district constructed more classrooms in order to reduce the number of learners per classroom. A total of 234 new classrooms were
constructed while construction of another 40 classrooms was commissioned in the storeyed buildings.
Health Emphasis was also put on safeguarding the health of the residents of Gasabo District. On health Insurance (Mutuelle de Santé), penetration rose to 88% in October 2015. The district also focused on increasing the health centers and health posts. In 2015, the district had 5 hospitals, including 4 operated by the Government, and one privately owned. There were 17 health centers and 20 health posts. The district also created public awareness on various health threats such as HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. Other issues that were targeted during public awareness include family planning, saving the lives of pregnant women and babies during and after birth.
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Kicukiro District:
The Pillar of Kigali’s Social and Economic Transformation
Kicukiro District Headquarters.
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icukiro District, which attained its Physical Detailed Master Plans (PDMP) in 2013 together with Gasabo District, is described as the knowledge hub and green gateway of the City of Kigali (CoK), one among Africa’s cleanest, safe and fastest developing cities. Kicukiro District is destined for greatness. The District
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features the current airportKigali International Airport (KIA) and it is the primary entry to the CoK from the planned New Bugesera International Airport in Bugesera District, Eastern Province in about half an hour drive from the CoK. According to the CoK Masterplan, Kicukiro District will also host the second Metropolitan City also to be known as Gahanga Regional Center as new urban node in the City of Kigali. The District will also host the cultural centre that will feature
a modern library, theatres and Rwanda arts museum. For the past five years (20112015), the district has been hands-on, redeveloping and creating new modern infrastructure, creating new jobs and supporting vulnerable groups as part of the country’s poverty reduction and alleviation strategies, but ensuring that as a knowledge hub, education and justice sectors continue to bring in a new identity and character, like in other districts of the CoK. Kicukiro’s special approach
President Kagame(R) awarding the former Mayor of Kicukiro District Paul Jules Ndamage after Kicukiro emerged the best district in the implementation of 2011-2012 Imihigo on 13 September 2013. in implementing government policies and programmes entailed in its annual performance contract or Imihigo as locally commonly known, under the pillars of economic development, social welfare, justice and good governance, made it the best overall performing district for three consecutive years – 2012, 2013 and 2014. Indeed, this was possible owing to the fact that its set targets in all sectors are realized by averagely 97 percent every fiscal year.
Critical Infrastructure Development In June 2013, Kicukiro inaugurated its new 3-storied office facility. The new office complex accommodates all Kicukiro
district services, a conference hall with 200 seats, a fully equipped ICT hall and a canteen, cost Rwf726, 295, 752 which came from the district’s own revenues, specifically taxes collected and paid by the residents. In the past few months, it has also inaugurated its Multipurpose Hall with 800 seats which will help in reducing public spending on rent, among other benefits. Kicukiro outlined several completed and ongoing development projects, including roads, modern markets, schools, real estate projects, hospitals and health centres, and office facilities to cut public spending on rent, among others. From 2010 t0 2015, 34.05 kilometres of new tarmac roads have been constructed.
Among the new tarmac road network are Airport-Rwanda Military Hospital-Nyarugunga road; Sonatube-CotracoKicukiro health centre road; Magerwa-Gatenga road; ZiniaWFP road; Niboye-Luna-Doro road; Rwandex-Zion TempleKicukiro centre road; and RBSImenarugamba road. The 5.8km Kanombe-BusanzaRubirizi road valued at Rwf4.5 billion is among the new tarmac road network under construction which will be completed in 2016. About 65km of Murram roads were prepared including 25.5km in Gahanga, Masaka, Gatenga and Nyarugunga while over 7km of stone-paved roads and 30km of trenches were also constructed. All the 41 cells in 10 sectors that form Kicukiro District were 83
connected to clean water and electricity; Masaka hospital, three health centres (Gatenga, Kagarama and Nyarugunga) and upgrading of Gikondo health centre, Rusheshe health post, District medical drug store and pharmacy, and three markets were also constructed in the last five years. Nine minifactories were established and a secondary post was put in place.
Social and Economic Sector Development From 2010 to 2015 about 207 classrooms, 362 toilets, 10 teachers’ quarters and 3 biogaz plants in schools, Kicukiro has been keen on supporting Rwanda’s education system, both private and public under 9 and 12 Year Basic Education programmes, to build a knowledge-based and skilled manpower. The construction of over 200 houses for the disadvantaged groups, creation of thousands of jobs under VUP Umurenge program and easing access
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to finances in terms of loans, all contributed to the poverty reduction and alleviation programme. For example, in the 2009/2010 financial year alone, 1266 people were lifted out of poverty after they were employed to work in key infrastructure development projects such as roads. Over the years, over 6618 people were given financial support amounting to over Rwf54 million including 1278 in direct support and 681 through financial services; all the 10 SACCOs acquired the National Bank of Rwanda accreditation – Final Licence to Grant Loans – and in 2011/2012 fiscal year alone, these community microfinance institutions gave loans worth Rwf258 million. This financial support and loans played a crucial role in improving the welfare of the people, partly because some of these beneficiaries were given training in Credit Management, Customer Care, Leadership, Saving Mobilisation and SACCOs
Muyange Primary School in Kicukiro District.
Regulation. These training routines were organized and conducted in partnership with Rwanda Cooperative Agency (RCA). Availing public infrastructures, reducing the distance between people, markets, services and knowledge – or simply ‘getting people connected’ – is a great part of what economic growth is all about in Kicukiro District. These development projects also contributed to business growth in Kicukiro and ultimately increased revenues which have seen the district annual budget rising from Rwf3.2 billion in 2010 to Rwf4.7 billion in 2015. Going forward, with the new leadership of Kicukiro District, the District will continue to strive for excellence in service delivery and implementation of government programs which not only help to improve the lives of Kicukiro Residents but also contribute to the development of the City of Kigali and overall transformation of the country.
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A newly built road connecting Niboye and Kabeza both in Kicukiro District. 86
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KIGA LI I
LEGE OL
EGRATED C T N
T H E F UTURE BEGINS HERE
KIGALI INTEGRATED COLLEGE:
Striving for Excellent, Hands-on Technical Education
1. About KIC Kigali Integrated College (KIC) is a private technical higher learning institution dedicated to provide excellent hands-on technical education focusing on Rwanda, East and Central Africa. We offer certificate, diploma and degree programs in technical education for working technicians who want to gain
more skills and upgrade their academic qualification, students who completed Secondary School and anyone who has a certificate, diploma and degree in any discipline and wishes to switch to technical education to become a highly skilled technician.
2. Location Striving for Excellent Handson Technical Education,
Kigali Integrated College was established in December 2014 and is located in the City of Kigali, Kicikiro District in Nyarugunga Sector along Remera-Murindi Road about 10 minutes from Kigali Special Economic Zone and 20 minutes from Kigali International Airport. Our campus offers the best learning experience through the state of the art learning infrastructure and the highly qualified academic staff.
3. Vision Our vision is to become an excellent Educational Technical Institution in the region.
4. Mission To implement Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs and to enhance competitiveness and employability of our students
5. Motto Striving for Excellent, Hands-on Technical Education
6. Our Values Excellence, Patriotism, Professionalism, Competitiveness, Innovation, and Hands-on-Experience
7. Objectives of KIC •To promote excellent, hands-on technical education in Rwanda •To develop highly skilled manpower through vocational education training •To contribute to the entrepreneurship development in Rwanda and in the region •To drive creativity, technological innovation and competitiveness in Rwanda
8. Academic Programs KIC offers certificate, diploma and degree courses suitable for existing technicians; students who completed secondary education in any discipline and any other professional that wishes to acquire competitive technical skills in any field and can meet our academic admission criteria. We offer six months, one year and two years technical education training programs in :
1. Electronics & Telecommunication 2. Construction 3. Auto-mobile Mechanics 4. Computer Science 5. Electricity
8.1. Teaching Schedule We have a flexible teaching schedule which includes day, afternoon and evening programs in order to provide chances to the various categories of students to attend classes in their convenient time. Note that students in all these categories (Day, Afternoon and Evening classes) however complete the same course in the same number of hours in both theory and practical lessons.
8.1.2: Day Classes This program is designed to suit the needs of the students who are unemployed or those who work in the afternoon to late evening. In this program, classes start from 8:00am up to 12:30pm with a short break in between.
8.1.3. Afternoon Classes This program is designed in the way that those who work in the morning can be able to attend classes in the afternoon. Classes start at 1:30 pm and end at 5:30 pm with a short break in between.
8.1.4. Evening Classes The evening program which is designed to accommodate those who work throughout the day starts from 6pm to 9:30pm without a break.
9. Teaching Approach KIC dedicates more time on practical education to enable students acquire hands-on
For more information, contact: KIGALI INTEGRATED COLLEGE (KIC) REMERA-MURINDI ROAD (Metropole Motors Garage)
skills so that they enter the job market easily or create their own employment immediately after graduation. This is done with the support of our highly qualified lecturers who also deliver the theory part of the lessons to the students. Our students have access on the modern teaching equipments such as auto-mobile mechanic repair tools and auto-mobile electronic repair tools and computer labs where they perform practical lessons and learn about the tools as well as their usage. We also intend to facilitate our students to get hands-on internships in local factories, technology companies and Radio and TV stations so that they supplement knowledge learned on campus with the real practical knowledge.
10. Admission Requirements To be admitted for studies at KIC, prospective students must fulfill the following: -Secondary School Certificate (A2) in any discipline -Diploma in any discipline -University Degree in any discipline
12. Why Study at KIC •KIC is committed to Provide Academic Excellence In Technical Education •KIC is strategically located near Kigali Special Economic Zone and Major Factories •KIC employs foreign lectures who are highly qualified in TVET education •KIC is also strategically located in the City of Kigali which is the Opportunities hub for Rwanda •KIC has state-of-the art teaching infrastructure to enable students enjoy learning.
P.O BOX 2470 Kigali-Rwanda.com Tel : 0788744736 Email: kigaliintegratedcollege@gmail.com
www.kic.ac.rw
Newly built M.Peace Plaza in Nyarugenge District.
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Kigali Marriot Hotel in Nyarugenge District.
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Keeping Kigali Clean.
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Greening roadside at Rwanda Parliament
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VISION MEDIA beyond communication
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