Why Rwanda is slowly becoming region’s hub for global engagements

Christopher Kayumba 

By Christopher Kayumba

From the recent AfDB annual meeting to the Transform Africa ICT summit in October 2013 and the ICT for Agriculture International Conference that November, barely two months go by without people who matter converging on Kigali.

 

And, unlike what many imagined 20 years ago, Rwanda now has world-class facilities — such as Serena Hotel and the upcoming Marriott — besides another 370 hotels with a combined capacity of about 6,700 rooms.

Considering that when the Serena was being built in early 2000s the government faced much opposition from “development partners,” who argued that such five-star facilities weren’t appropriate for a poor nation, this success is a story yet to be written.

Musing about the probable meanings of such jamboree in a “small” country, a friend from the Western world recently observed that, as the RPF leaders once dreamed, Rwanda could easily become a regional home for international organisations — such as the UN and its agencies. I agree.

But why has the country taken this path and seems to be succeeding? There are a number of reasons but I will start with necessity, clearly defined goals, sustained action and the power of dreams.

I was first introduced to the power of dreams early in life when our mother brought home a speech by American civil rights activist Rev Martin Luther King, Jr and required us to listen to and recite it.

Later, this dream thing, fused with objective-oriented deeds, was bolstered by reading and listening to speeches by former US president JF Kennedy and South Africa’s anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela.

Then when I joined high school I met young men and women who, growing up in humiliating refugee camps in western Uganda, dreamt of and regularly talked about one day returning to “the land of milk and honey” as our parents never tired to tell us.

Return they did, and many would serve with distinction in three national armies with one of them going on to head the military in two different countries! An uncelebrated world record.

Yet, when we thought we knew the power of dreams, deeds, focus and resolve, when Vision 2020 was first introduced around 2000 not many gave it a chance.

The pessimism was based on two realities: Ethnic divisions; and an economy in shambles, insurmountable challenges, dependence on subsistence agriculture, a rapidly growing population, nascent industries, poor infrastructure, lack of natural resources and depleted human resources. But the vision’s leaders were talking building a “middle income” nation driven by a knowledge economy.

It would be illusory to posit that Rwanda has reached the destination, But judging from what has been attained, 80 per cent of the objectives might be achieved. Among the six pillars is to “promote investment and trade ... facilitate the structural transformation toward industry and services.”

You can say all you want about our “poor” service industry but hundreds of high-profile personalities turn up for conferences and are hosted with remarkable organisation to return home awed.

So why has Rwanda managed to be so excellent in hospitality? One can credit this to security, stability and peace. Or its strategic location. But for me the most critical ingredient is the clear role of the government.

Apart from its traditional role of ensuring security and order with distinction, it has been central in ensuring efficiency at organising international conferences.