Why Rwanda beats African peers in race for economic growth

A view of Kigali: Rwanda intends to become a developed climate-resilient and low-carbon economy by 2050. PHOTO/FILE 

By GEORGE WACHIRA

In Summary

• Orderliness and rule of law make Kigali stand out among chaotic cities in the continent.

There is something therapeutic and pleasant about visiting Kigali. It is the sheer orderliness, cleanliness and a strong feeling of safety and security that welcomes a visitor to the city.

There is an apparent commitment by the Rwandese to do things correctly by willingly following their own policies, laws and rules. In Rwanda, there is a cross-cutting evidence of a general culture of compliance, very rare in many African countries.

For instance, I had always wondered why Kigali is so spotlessly clean, until on my last trip to the city I visited a supermarket and found that they use bio-degradable paper bags and not plastic bags.

And this explains why the streets, estates and even streams in Kigali are free of plastic clutter, unlike in many towns and cities in Africa.

In Kenya, several efforts to get rid of plastic bags have always encountered resistance from vested interests to the detriment of our environment and urban wetlands.

Plastic bags make management of solid waste in Kenya’s urban areas a nightmare, yet this does not seem to put the environmental authorities in any form of urgency to redress the situation.

Another key attraction in Kigali is the aesthetic design of the urban roads and streets which incorporate paved pedestrian walkways, sufficient lighting, and well manicured grass and flower beds. Walkways make walking and jogging a pleasure even at night as insecurity is not a major issue.

In Nairobi, many want to walk or jog from one area of the city to another, but the general absence of safe walkways (and lighting) makes walking a risky adventure to be avoided.

Many tourists in Nairobi feel compelled by the awkwardness and insecurity of our streets and roads to take taxis even for short distances that do not warrant it. And this erodes the brand value of our city.

The motor bikes in Kigali are safety compliant and blend quite well with the rest of traffic without much nuisance or obstructions. Safety helmets and reflectors are worn by all bike drivers and passengers, including women.

Unlike in Kenya, motor bikes in Kigali are a respected and accepted mode of urban public transport with the owners and users complying with the traffic law.

Another good example of Rwanda walking a policy is the replacement of 14-seater vans with larger commuter buses. The policy driver was to reduce traffic clutter and improve public transport management and efficiency.

This now appears to have been fully implemented. In Nairobi, policies for larger buses have been issued and then retracted when vested interests prevailed over the authorities.

Sometimes I wonder whether our National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) officials have ever paid a courtesy visit to their road safety counterparts in Kigali to seek some explanations as to why it works in Rwanda and not in Kenya.

One explanation they are sure to get is that corruption and bribes are unacceptable tools-of-trade in Rwanda’s road safety enforcement.

I have not viewed Rwanda’s safety statistics, but these I am sure are bound to be far much better than in Kenya.

As I sat at the Kigali Airport departure lodge waiting for the delayed Kenya Airways flight, I read a magazine publicising Rwanda’s economic achievements and plans, meant for the Global African Investment Summit 2016 which had taken place in Kigali a week earlier. In this magazine one can see through the policies and principles that have differentiated Rwanda and attracted many.

Key among them is Rwanda’s achievement in economic governance, which is well exemplified by the latest 2015 World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index rankings that put Rwanda on top of Africa with a ranking of 62 out of 189 countries of the world.

Kenya had a ranking of 108. Achieving such a strong ranking is definitely a culmination of many deliberate steps of implementing the correct sectoral policies over time.

The same magazine states that a key strength of Rwanda is fight against corruption whose talk has been successfully walked by the Rwandans.

This success is, according to the report, reflected all the way from high-level officials, to middle posts down to the lower levels of public service. This is a key factor that has endeared foreign investors and players to the Rwandan economy.

Rwanda’s economy is expanding rapidly at 6.8 per cent in 2016 and with an outlook of 7.2 per cent for 2017. Its key areas of focus have been infrastructure, ICT, tourism and agriculture.

Reading the magazine one detects a strong emphasis on private capital and involvement in national economic development. Rwanda is targeting to be a hub linking East Africa with Central and West Africa through trade and communication — both land and air.

A ride through the city of Kigali reveals a new skyline with numerous new high-rise buildings, and expansive residential estate developments.

The most significant and recent landmark is of course the new Kigali Convention Centre, which is quite ideal for regional and international conferencing, supported by the newly refurbished Kigali Airport and the fast growing Rwanda Air.

Yes there is a lot a country can learn from Rwanda, for indeed in many areas of socio-economic governance and developments, the country is gradually becoming the region’s best practice.

Mr Wachira is director of Petroleum Focus Consultants. Wachira@petroleumfocus.com