Kigali – Beginning or end of an era
I have been in Rwanda for 2 months now.
And it has been nothing short of spectacular. The pandemic hasn’t made anything better in any way but the few many times I have toured the city has
shown me the power of positivity and how unity can be harnessed to create something bigger than individuality. This is one of the most beautiful cities
I have toured in terms of cleanliness and culture and the mindset that drives this is deeply ingrained in the people and systems that govern them.
To give context, Rwanda’s history is a story of how to use ashes as building blocks and clay for new better designs. Just 27 years ago, the country was
marred by one of the worst genocides in the history of Africa and it seemed like that was the first bit of its gradual descent into poverty and
nothingness streaked by animosity among the people. However the president was able to preach a different gospel that marked the new values of a
new country shedding its old skin and growing a new one.
27 years later, the country is lauded as having one of the fastest growing economies in the African continent and its now a hot destination for investors
and globe trotters alike, looking to grow their investments and settle in new regions respectively.
On my experience here I will touch on three things; the culture, the women and the business landscape.
The culture in Rwanda was something else having coming from Kenya. From a fast paced environment in the streets of Nairobi, I landed in Kigali and
the first thing I noticed is how calm and composed the people were. There is a sort of surety in the way they walk, talk and go about their businesses.
The streets were busy but not crowded and the Kigali downtown seemed like the uptown of Nairobi. The hubbub of activity was noticeable but not
unsettling. The cleanliness of the city makes you realize involvement of people in policies formulation and implementation goes a long way into its
effectiveness.
When they say Rwanda is a land of 1000 hills, its quite the understatement. The whole city is built on a hill and the winding roads as you traverse are
quite an experience. You get to appreciate the design around the roads and how despite the landscape they are in a glitz condition still. The main
language spoken here is Kinyarwanda, an indigenous language that brings together all the people together. More people speak the language in
Rwanda than the percentage of people who speak Swahili in Kenya.
When it comes to Rwandan women, the beauty is unmatched. And its just not on surface level but also ties to their character. Humility is their
surname
The business ecosystem is quite structured since the government has invested extensive resources in ensuring their is a smooth flow in the way things
are done. All the systems are integrated efficiently that it is so easy to get any service across the different sectors. The only thing that I saw that was a
bit of a shock for me was the pace at which things are done. Having come from Kenya, we are used to doing things in a jiffy and this has resulted in us
adopting a ‘hurried mindset’. In Kigali, I took 4 hours to open a bank account and this made me appreciate the fast approach we have.
All in all, my experience in Rwanda has been a good one marked with a good culture and marred with the touch of new friendships I made. As I
embark on the next leg of my journey, I wont be surprised if a year from now i will be a resident in the city of Kigali having eloped towards the land of
a thousand hills.
