Kigali a city of beauty, order and charming people

Light trails of a night traffic at Kisimenti roundabout in Remera, Kigali. PHOTO | CYRIL NDEGEYA 

By DENISE TUYI

In Summary

• The country’s dark past has been replaced by a serenity that draws in tourists from around the world.
• If you choose to visit the country by air or road, the two main means of accessing this landlocked country, the scenic hilly views will soothe your nerves.
• Kigali epitomises the “green living” mantra and it gives the city harmony, balance and hope.

Rwanda has in the past few years transformed itself into a magnet for travel enthusiasts, with the country’s dark past replaced by a serenity that draws in tourists from around the world.

Considered one of the most beautiful cities in Africa by visitors on travel sites and on social media, Kigali did not happen overnight. It has taken almost 20 years to rebuild the city’s physical, psychological and legal character. And yet it lives up to this newfound but long overdue fame with grace.

In this past year alone, it was ranked among the safest in the world by the Gallup Global Law and Order 2015 Report, despite the terrorism and political wrangles that affect neighbouring countries. It was also ranked in the top 10 of the most liveable cities in Africa, and interestingly, its women are considered some of the most beautiful and politically empowered on the continent.

If you choose to visit the country by air or road, the two main means of accessing this landlocked country, the scenic hilly views will soothe your nerves.

The rolling green landscape creates an indelible picture of serenity that is bound to be etched in your mind for a long time.

The city oozes orderliness from open spaces to neatly planted palm trees and manicured lawns dotted with colourful flowers. You can see the meticulous work that has been put in to create the beauty.

Kigali epitomises the “green living” mantra and it gives the city harmony, balance and hope. The latter too is something identified with Kigali as the country rebuilds itself like the proverbial Phoenix rising from the ashes.

Physical beauty aside, for Kigali to look beautiful and maintain order, many things have been put in place. Not only are there stringent laws, but the effective implementation of these laws is what makes the city stand out above others.

Cases of lawlessness such as littering, damaging of street lighting or knocking down the palm trees dotting the major roads are taken very seriously and fine for the latter be as much as Rwf1 million applicable through the Penal Code.

According to Kigali city mayor Fidele Ndayisaba, “The residents of the city of Kigali are the ones who we need to congratulate; their co-operation is quite commendable. We are receiving different opinions based on what is seen on the ground about the city of Kigali, such as the way in which we are going about the modernisation projects. It is very encouraging to see the milestones that we have achieved but we need to aim higher.”

Recently Bob Collymore, the chief executive of Safaricom, Kenya’s largest mobile phone company, visited Kigali and had this to say on his first impression of the city: “It’s clean, traffic lights work, roads don’t have potholes, there is a sense of order and discipline which many of us in other parts of Africa envy.

As a person who travels a lot I have always admired this structure; you speak to people in Geneva or Los Angeles and they hold Rwanda in very high esteem. About traffic, IBM did a research recently that shows how much of GDP is lost because of the traffic congestion we have and if you were to move from one end of Nairobi to another, it can take you 20 minutes to three hours and that unpredictability is bad. In Rwanda, I am sure of the time I will take from the city centre to the airport, and that’s impressive.”

Cytonn’s CEO Edwin Dande, also from Nairobi, said: “The cleanliness and order of the city is so unlike other Africa cities, it looks like somewhere in Europe and people look orderly. It seems like law and order works here and that’s a compliment to Kigali. People are very polite and hospitable, I was surprised when I got to the airport and the cab driver didn’t exceed the ticketing fee, unlike in Nairobi where the fare can be twisted. So far I am impressed.”

Kigali is friendly to people who like exploring on foot although it might take more time to tour the city this way still offers good exercise and help work up an appetite for the famous meal of roast meat and fried banana.

Other means to traverse the Kigali terrain are motorbike taxis, buses, taxis and bicycles. It is estimated that a road trip around the city takes at least 40 minutes non-stop.

Rwanda has in the past few years transformed itself into a magnet for travel enthusiasts, with the country’s dark past replaced by a serenity that draws in tourists from around the world.

Considered one of the most beautiful cities in Africa by visitors on travel sites and on social media, Kigali did not happen overnight. It has taken almost 20 years to rebuild the city’s physical, psychological and legal character. And yet it lives up to this newfound but long overdue fame with grace.

In this past year alone, it was ranked among the safest in the world by the Gallup Global Law and Order 2015 Report, despite the terrorism and political wrangles that affect neighbouring countries. It was also ranked in the top 10 of the most liveable cities in Africa, and interestingly, its women are considered some of the most beautiful and politically empowered on the continent.

If you choose to visit the country by air or road, the two main means of accessing this landlocked country, the scenic hilly views will soothe your nerves.

The rolling green landscape creates an indelible picture of serenity that is bound to be etched in your mind for a long time.

The city oozes orderliness from open spaces to neatly planted palm trees and manicured lawns dotted with colourful flowers. You can see the meticulous work that has been put in to create the beauty.

Kigali epitomises the “green living” mantra and it gives the city harmony, balance and hope. The latter too is something identified with Kigali as the country rebuilds itself like the proverbial Phoenix rising from the ashes.

Physical beauty aside, for Kigali to look beautiful and maintain order, many things have been put in place. Not only are there stringent laws, but the effective implementation of these laws is what makes the city stand out above others.

Cases of lawlessness such as littering, damaging of street lighting or knocking down the palm trees dotting the major roads are taken very seriously and fine for the latter be as much as Rwf1 million applicable through the Penal Code.

According to Kigali city mayor Fidele Ndayisaba, “The residents of the city of Kigali are the ones who we need to congratulate; their co-operation is quite commendable. We are receiving different opinions based on what is seen on the ground about the city of Kigali, such as the way in which we are going about the modernisation projects. It is very encouraging to see the milestones that we have achieved but we need to aim higher.”

Recently Bob Collymore, the chief executive of Safaricom, Kenya’s largest mobile phone company, visited Kigali and had this to say on his first impression of the city: “It’s clean, traffic lights work, roads don’t have potholes, there is a sense of order and discipline which many of us in other parts of Africa envy.

As a person who travels a lot I have always admired this structure; you speak to people in Geneva or Los Angeles and they hold Rwanda in very high esteem. About traffic, IBM did a research recently that shows how much of GDP is lost because of the traffic congestion we have and if you were to move from one end of Nairobi to another, it can take you 20 minutes to three hours and that unpredictability is bad. In Rwanda, I am sure of the time I will take from the city centre to the airport, and that’s impressive.”

Cytonn’s CEO Edwin Dande, also from Nairobi, said: “The cleanliness and order of the city is so unlike other Africa cities, it looks like somewhere in Europe and people look orderly. It seems like law and order works here and that’s a compliment to Kigali. People are very polite and hospitable, I was surprised when I got to the airport and the cab driver didn’t exceed the ticketing fee, unlike in Nairobi where the fare can be twisted. So far I am impressed.”

Kigali is friendly to people who like exploring on foot although it might take more time to tour the city this way still offers good exercise and help work up an appetite for the famous meal of roast meat and fried banana.

Other means to traverse the Kigali terrain are motorbike taxis, buses, taxis and bicycles. It is estimated that a road trip around the city takes at least 40 minutes non-stop.