Rwandan President Paul Kagame fielding questions at The Governors'
Summit 2014 at Great Rift Valley Lodge in Naivasha, Kenya on January 20,
2014 where he gave an interview on a wide range of issues, including
the assassination of Rwandan defectors living in exile. PHOTO/SULEIMAN
MBATIAH
By BERNA NAMATA The EastAfrican
In Summary
- Through Chinese investments in the country currently estimated at $358.7 million with most of the investments in accommodation and food, Chinese firms have won major construction deals from both the government and the private sector.
Chinese firms are increasingly making inroads into Kigali, targeting mainly infrastructure projects.
Through Chinese investments in the country
currently estimated at $358.7 million with most of the investments in
accommodation and food, Chinese firms have won major construction deals
from both the government and the private sector.
These include the construction of the soon-to-be
opened five-star Kigali Marriot Hotel in which Chinese firm New Century
Development is investing over $55 million.
While it will be managed by Marriott Group in
accordance with a 30-year contract, the hotel is constructed and owned
by New Century Development Ltd – a joint venture between Chinese
investors (75 per cent) and a local partner (25 per cent).
New Century Development deputy chief executive and
head of finance Solomon Adede said the Chinese investors are
positioning themselves in virgin markets like Rwanda for the long term.
“The Chinese partnership has grown from the hotel
to the training centre and they are committed to invest more,” Mr Adede
said, referring to the ongoing construction of a training centre which
will be managed by Marriott. NCD will also be constructing luxury
apartments under the same project.
Mr Adede said the Chinese had to bring in skilled
manpower at the beginning of the project. However, they have trained
local staff over time.
“We are not on the same level of development with
them. When we started the project, there were quite a number of Chinese
coming in but as they trained, the number of locals increased. They are
transferring that knowledge to us because more than 50 per cent (of the
labour force) are Rwandans,” Mr Adede said.
More projects
In 2009, Beijing Construction Engineering Group
(BCEG) won the tender to build one of government’s key strategic
investments – the over $300 million Kigali Convention Centre, a
multipurpose arena that will host 2,600 people and a 292-room five-star
hotel that will be managed by Radisson Group of Hotels.
In 2011, during a visit by China’s Vice-Minister
of Commerce, Gao Hucheng, financial agreements worth $18 million were
signed with the government.
In the same visit, exchange letters were signed
that could see the Chinese construct a Rwanda Government Administrative
Complex under the Kigali City Roads Construction Project.
Included in the agreement are the Rwanda
Agriculture Demonstration Centre at Rubona and the 150-bed Rwanda
Polyclinic at Masaka Hospital.
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