Landmark Suites Rwanda is well placed in Kigali City. This is in a quiet spot 15 minutes from the Kigali International Airport. Landmark Suites Rwanda offers you a blend of Western and traditional African hospitality. This comes in a serene environment for your comfort. Just at the comfort of your rooms you have the pleasure to enjoy an elegant view of Kigali City. It is also a good place to start your Rwanda safari tour.
Accommodation at Landmark Suites Rwanda
This 4 star luxury hotel in Kigali offers 36 Executive Suites. They are all furnished with flair and elegance. All the suites are fitted with every comfort. This is intended for those who are fond of small details. All suites at this 4 star luxury hotel in Kigali are fitted with state of the art facilities. Landmark Suites Rwanda has a round the clock security and 24 Hours. It also has Hi-Speed Internet Connectivity. Each suite also has a flat Screen TV set with a choice of bath tabs and overhead showers. There are hair dryers and direct dialing telephone in the rooms.
Besides Landmark Suites Rwanda rooms are fitted with smoke detectors. This is to enhance safety for each guest at this four star luxury hotel in Kigali. The suites offer a unique charm transferring. This brings a feeling of comfort for every guest at Landmark Suites Rwanda. This is why this 4 star hotel in Kigali is the best place for a pleasant stay in Rwanda. You are also assured of a relaxing atmosphere.
Facilities at this 4 Star Luxury Hotel in Kigali
Bar and Restaurant at Landmark Suites Rwanda
Landmark Suites Rwanda has Crystal Lounge Bar and Keza Restaurant. Here you will be served mouth-watering dishes. They include African, French and Italian Cuisines. Landmark Suites Rwanda also offers several world class drinks. These range from different brands of Champagne to Cocktails. There are Wines and Spirits at your need.
Landmark Suites Rwanda has a dedicated Breakfast place for you. This is known as the “Stonny Coffee Bar”. It operates from 7:00 am to 10:00 am during the weekdays. Over the weekends the operations extend over to 10:30. This is to ensure you enjoy your special breakfast moment.
Fitness Center
For your health and fitness needs Landmark Suites Rwanda has an in house Fitness Center. This comes with state of the art equipment for your use. There is a team of well trained and world class employees to take care of your needs.
Cancellation / Prepayment
PAYMENT & RESERVATIONS POLICY Reservation and confirmation of a room at Landmark Suites Rwanda has requirements. Clients are required to pay 50% down payment for the requested services. The balance will be required at least 14 days prior to your date of arrival.
African Safari Tour will hold a reservation for up to seven days at a client's request. This is to allow the client time to send a deposit payment. This is if Landmark Suites Rwanda booking are over a month prior to the service. This must be received before we can confirm your booking. If confirmation is not received within the seven days all blocked rooms at Landmark Suites Rwanda will be automatically released for re-sale. The full amount of the service must be made within 14 days of date of arrival at Landmark Suites Rwanda. As for bookings within a month of service, full payment shall be requested for. This will be required before confirmation of Landmark Suites Rwanda is undertaken.
CANCELLATIONS All cancellations must be received in writing. This will take effect from the date received by African Safari Tour. The following cancellation charges will apply.
More than 56 days before departure: No cancellation fee 56-49 days before departure: 25% 48-29 days before departure: 35% 28-0 days before departure: 100%
The non-issuing of an invoice or non-payment of deposit will not exempt passengers from these cancellation and administration fees. We regret we can make no exception to the charges and strongly recommend that insurance is taken out to cover cancellation fees. These cancellation charges can vary subject to the trading terms of our suppliers.
Children and extra beds
Children older than 2 years are welcome at Landmark Suites Rwanda. One child from 2 to 11.9 years is charged 50 % of the room stay per night and person in an extra bed.
The maximum number of extra beds for children in a room is 2.
Any type of extra bed or child's cot/crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.
Supplements are not calculated automatically in the total costs and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.
Stylish and individually designed room featuring a satellite TV, mini bar and a 24-hour room service menu.
We are sorry, this accommodation is not available to book at the moment
Facilities
Air Condition
Bar
Catering service
Convention floor
Desk
Fitness
Free toiletries
Hairdryer
Hotspots
Laundry
Lounge
Minibar
Outdoor pool
Private bathroom
Restaurant
Room service
Safety Deposit Box
Telephone
TV
Wake up service
WiFi
Kigali Rwanda
Kigali is the capital city of Rwanda. Kigali is Rwanda's biggest city with a population of 850,000, it's also the commercial capital of the country. Kigali was founded by the Germans in 1907 but only became Rwanda's capital when the country became independent (from Belgium) in 1962. Kigali was at the center of the horrendous genocide that took place in 1994 which took the lives of 800,000 people and displaced many more in the space of just 100 days.
Kigali is a relatively safe and sophisticated small city that has come a long way in a short time. Kigali is a pretty city which sprawls over several hills. The city’s avenues are filled with flowering trees and it is surrounded by lush green mountains. Since 1994, Kigali has slowly been rebuilt and income from tourism (mostly coming to see the gorillas) as well as numerous aid workers has buoyed the capital's economy.
The city is built in hilly country, sprawling across about four ridges and the valleys in between. The city center is located on one of these ridges, with the main government area on another. The bigger houses and office buildings tend to be on the tops of the ridges, while the poorer people live in the valleys.
Kigali is an important center for trade in local produce, including coffee, cattle, cassiterite (tin ore), and tungsten. Manufacturing industries include textiles, chemicals, tin-processing, paints, and cigarettes.
Business in Rwanda is growing, and many new buildings are emerging across the city. Tourism and expatriate NGO workers provide important input into the economy also. The city is home to an international airport, Kigali International Airport. It is the hub of the Rwanda transport network, with hourly express bus routes to all major towns in the country.
History of Kigali, Rwanda
The earliest inhabitants of what is now Rwanda were the Twa. This is a group of aboriginal pygmy hunter-gatherers who settled the area between 8000 and 3000 BC and remain in the country today. They were followed between 700 BC and AD 1500 by a number of Bantu groups,. They included the Hutu and Tutsi, who began clearing forests for agriculture.According to oral history the Kingdom of Rwanda was founded in the 14th century on the shores of Lake Muhazi. This is around 40 kilometres (25 mi) east of modern Kigali.
At that time Rwanda was a small state in a loose confederation with larger and more powerful neighbours, Bugesera and Gisaka. By playing these neighbours against each other, the early kingdom flourished in the area, expanding westwards towards Lake Kivu and taking the Kigali area in the process.In the late 16th or early 17th centuries, the kingdom of Rwanda was invaded by the Banyoro and the kings forced to flee westward, leaving Kigali and eastern Rwanda in the hands of Bugesera and Gisaka.
The formation in the 17th century of a new Rwandan dynasty by mwami Ruganzu Ndori, followed by eastward invasions and the conquest of Bugesera, marked the beginning of the Rwandan kingdom's dominance in the area. The capital of the kingdom was at Nyanza, in the south of the country.
In 1916 Colonel Molitor visited the Belgian troops in Kigali, Rwanda. The city of Kigali was founded in 1907 by German administrator and explorer Richard Kandt. Rwanda and neighbouring Burundi had been assigned to Germany by the Berlin Conference of 1884.
20th Century Kigali
Germany established a presence in the country in 1897 with the formation of an alliance with the king, Yuhi V Musinga. Kandt arrived in 1899, exploring Lake Kivu and searching for the source of the Nile. When Germany decided in 1907 to separate the administration of Rwanda from that of Burundi, Kandt was appointed as the country's first Resident.
He chose to make his headquarters in Kigali due to its central location in the country,and also because the area afforded good views and security. Kandt built himself a house in Nyarugenge, the first European-style house in the city. It remains in use today as the Kandt House Museum of Natural History.
Despite a German ordinance written in 1905, which prohibited "non-indigenous natives" from entering Rwanda,. Kandt began permitting the entry of Indian traders in 1908, which allowed commercial activity to begin in Rwanda in 1908. The first businesses were established in Kigali that year by Greek and Indian merchants. This was with assistance from Baganda and Swahili people.
Items traded included cloth and beads. However, commercial activity was limited and there were only around 30 firms in the city by 1914. Kandt also opened government-run schools in Kigali, which began educating Tutsi students.
Belgian forces took control of Rwanda and Burundi in 1916, during World War I. They were granted sovereignty by a League of Nations mandate in 1919. In early 1917, Belgium attempted to assert direct rule on the colony. They placedKing Musinga under arrest and sidelining Rwandans in the judiciary.
In this period, Kigali was one of two provincial capitals, alongside Gisenyi. The difficulty of governing the complex Rwandan society, and a crippling famine, led the Belgians to re-establish the German-style indirect rule at the end of 1917. Musinga was restored to his throne at Nyanza, with Kigali remaining home to the colonial administration. This arrangement persisted until the mid-1920s.
From 1924 the Belgians began once more to sideline the monarchy, this time permanently.Belgium took over control of dispute resolution, appointment of officials and expansion of control. Kigali remained relatively small through the remainder of the colonial era, as much of the administration took place in Ruanda-Urundi's capital Usumbura, now known as Bujumbura in Burundi.
Usumbura's population exceeded 50,000 during the 1950s, and was the colony's only European-style city. Kigali's population remained at around 6,000 until independence in 1962.
Kigali become the capital upon Rwandan independence in 1962. The traditional capital was the seat of the mwami (Kings Yuhi V, Mutara III and Kigeli IV) in Nyanza. The colonial seat of power was in Butare, then known as Astrida. Butare was initially the leading contender to be the capital of the new independent nation. However, Kigali was chosen because of its more central location. The city grew slowly during the following decades, but retained a small-town feel, with just 25,000 people and five paved roads by the early 1970s.
On 6 July 1973 there was a bloodless military coup, in which minister of defence Juvénal Habyarimana overthrew ruling president Gregoire Kayibanda. Businesses closed for a few days, and troops patrolled across the city, but life had returned to normal and the army had left the streets by 11 July.
Geocide in 1994
In April 1994 President Habyarimana was assassinated, when his plane was shot down near Kigali Airport. This was the catalyst for the Rwandan genocide. Between 500,000–1,000,000Tutsi and politically moderate Hutu were killed in well-planned attacks on the orders of the interim government. Opposition politicians based in Kigali were killed on the first day of the genocide.
The city then became the setting for fierce fighting between the army (mostly Hutu) and the Tutsi-dominated Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). On 8 April, Rwandan government forces attacked the RPF base in the parliament building from several directions, but RPF troops successfully fought back.
The RPF then began an attack from the north on three fronts, seeking to link up quickly with its isolated troops in Kigali. The RPF advanced steadily, capturing large areas of the countryside to the north and east of Kigali. They were avoiding an attack on the city itself, because the city was too heavily defended. They instead conducted manoeuvres designed to encircle Kigali and cut off supply routes as well as capturing the rest of the country.
By mid-June, the RPF encirclement was complete, and they began fighting for the city itself. The government forces had superior manpower and weapons but the RPF fought tactically. They were able to exploit the fact that the government forces were concentrating on the genocide rather than the fight for Kigali. The RPF took control of Kigali on 4 July, a date now commemorated as the Liberation Day national holiday.
Things to Do in Kigali, Rwanda
If you have time, plan to spend at least a few days in the city itself rather than simply passing through. In the quarter-century since Kigali was devastated by the Rwandan Genocide, it has been reborn as one of the cleanest and safest capitals in Africa. Skyscrapers and start-up companies provide a surprising contrast to the lush scenery of the surrounding hills while contemporary art galleries, coffeehouses, and restaurants add to its cosmopolitan charm.
Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial
In April 1994, members of the Hutu majority government of Rwanda initiated a genocide against the Tutsi people after decades of conflict between the two ethnic groups. By mid-July of the same year, approximately one million people had been slaughtered, and 259,000 of them are buried in mass graves at the Kigali Genocide Memorial.
The Memorial also hosts three permanent exhibitions, the largest of which is dedicated to commemorating the events and victims of the Rwandan Genocide. After gaining an emotional insight into the horrors that shaped Rwanda’s recent history, take a moment to reflect on what you have learned in the Memorial’s tranquil gardens. The Memorial is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week.
Bear Witness to the Tragedies at Nyamata Church
For a more visceral education about the events of the Rwandan Genocide, travel 30 kilometers south of the city to the memorial at Nyamata Church. Here, approximately 10,000 Tutsi sought refuge within the church compound but were massacred when Hutu extremists used grenades to blast open the church’s locked doors. Today, the remains of more than 50,000 victims are buried at Nyamata.
The church itself still bears the original bullet holes in the ceiling and walls, and the bloodstained clothing of the victims (as well as their personal items and some of their bones) are displayed inside as a heartbreaking reminder of why the events of 1994 can never be allowed to happen again. The church is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Take a Cultural Tour at Nyamirambo Women's Center
Located in Kigali’s multicultural Nyamirambo district, the Nyamirambo Women’s Center is a non-profit initiative intended to provide Rwandan women with the education and training needed to find employment. The ladies that work here use their skills to create high-quality children’s clothing, accessories, and home decor products out of traditional kitenge fabrics—all of which make stunning souvenirs while funding the center’s community programs.
Make sure to sign up for one of their popular walking tours, too. After a traditional snack and a lesson in Kinyarwanda, you’ll follow a local guide on a tour of Nyamirambo’s houses, independent businesses, and mosques. Afterward, enjoy a traditional lunch at one of the ladies’ homes. Sisal basket weaving workshops and traditional cooking classes can also be booked online.
Experience Kigali's Café Culture at Inzora Rooftop Café
Nestled at the back of Ikirezi book shop, Inzora Rooftop Café offers a fine example of Kigali’s flourishing café culture. Spectacular views of the city and the surrounding hills make the rooftop terrace special, while the house coffee comes from a cooperative that benefits over 2,000 farmers. The menu would do justice to any Western hipster hangout—think macadamia and chia seed granola followed by gluten-free brownies.
Even better, everything from the ingredients to the furniture is locally sourced. There's even a playhouse and kitchen for the kids. The café is open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekends, making it the ideal spot for a leisurely brunch or evening drinks with a view. On Fridays, don't miss the café's weekly cocktail and tasting board event.
Shop for Rwandan Art at Inema Art Center
Founded in 2012 by two brothers with a passion for supporting and showcasing emerging Rwandan artists, Inema Art Center is now one of the best contemporary galleries in the city. It features the work of emerging and established artists from around the world and also serves as a studio for 10 artists-in-residence, who typically work across a broad spectrum of different mediums.
It hosts workshops and training programs for the next generation of Rwandan creatives, including weekly workshops for orphans with artistic abilities, traditional dance programs for children, and a crafts program for women. Visitors can peruse the artworks in the gallery, or shop for jewelry, linens, and leatherwork created by the center’s students at the gift shop. Keep an eye out for regular music and dance performances too.
Try Your Haggling Skills at Kimironko Market
For a truly immersive shopping experience, head to the vast warehouse complex known as Kimironko Market. This is the busiest and most popular market in town with vendors selling wares from all over Rwanda as well as East, Central, and West Africa. You’ll find souvenirs and crafts for rock-bottom prices and swathes of kitenge fabric that can be transformed into unique clothing by the market’s on-site seamstresses.
Kimironko is also a market place for local Rwandans with different sections selling colorful fruit and vegetables, clothing, home supplies, and pungent meat and seafood. It’s chaotic, loud and often overwhelming, but the kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, and smells serve as an authentic insight into everyday life in Kigali. Prices are negotiable. The market is open from around 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Enjoy Rwandan Food and Drink at Repub Lounge
Known amongst expats and locals alike as the place to unwind after a busy day, Repub Lounge has a loyal following in Kigali. Its African interiors use kitenge fabrics and hand-crafted furniture to create a convivial atmosphere while the outside deck impresses with mesmerizing views of the city lights. The menu features Rwandan and East African cuisine with a focus on grilled meats there are options for vegetarians.
The curry coconut fish is a particular highlight while African-style sharing dishes are perfect for larger groups. Order a glass of wine or a local beer from the extensive drinks list, then sit back and relax whilst listening to Afro-inspired live music. Repub Lounge opens from midday to midnight on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays; and from 6 p.m. to midnight Thursdays through Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays.
Discover the Story Behind the Real-Life Hotel Rwanda
Once the grandest hotel in the capital, Hôtel des Mille Collines was immortalized by the 2004 movie Hotel Rwanda. The film followed the story of Hutu manager Paul Rusesabagina, who sheltered hundreds of Tutsi refugees here during the Rwandan Genocide. Although Rusesabagina’s role is the subject of controversy, the hotel itself is a fascinating piece of Rwandan history.
Its pre-1994 glory has faded over time, but it remains a glamorous place to come for afternoon drinks at the poolside bar or to enjoy fine local and international cuisine at the fourth-floor restaurant. While sipping your cocktail amidst the garden greenery, consider that the pool was once the only source of water for the refugees trapped inside the hotel.
Sports & nature
Kigali is unlike many other African cities where Chaos is the rule of the day. Kigali, though the business center of Rwanda is a more relaxed, orderly, more peaceful. It is a visitor friendly city than most other African capitals. Here even the streetlights works. Traffic is orderly, the streets are clean and no potholes to speak of – delightful restaurants abound, – the perfect African city.
Below are some of the Tourist Attractions – the things you will want to do and see in while in Kigali – Rwanda – some have historic significance, others represent the arts and culture of Rwanda, some will be interactive times with Rwandans but most will prove to you that Kigali Rwanda is a jewel among Africa’s Capital Cities The post 1994 period witnessed a boom in the construction sector mostly because of the influx of 1994 refugees but most of it was not organized because there was no respect for the City master plan.
Old Kigali The Kigali City Tour offers one an in-depth view of Kigali, past and present, assuring that one feels the genuine heartbeat of the city. Kigali is blessed with a year round moderate climate. It is also the country’s vibrant commercial center. Kigali is particularly beautiful at night as the lights glimmer over a few of the country’s “one thousand hills”. The city is divided into three districts—Gasabo, Kicukiro and Nyarugenge and is inhabited by one million people.
The Kigali City Tour begins as a historic journey through the city with a guided tour from the first modern building from which the capital city was first founded, to the rapidly growing neighborhoods that are changing the face of the city. Kigali is one of the friendliest, cleanest and safest of Africa’s cities attracting numerous visitors and investors to the capital.
Kigali Genocide Memorial Center Along the tour, visitors will pass by Kigali’s older commercial “quartiers”, business and residential areas, visit historic sites commemorating the 1994 Tutsi Genocide, take a guided tour within the Gisozi Genocide Memorial, and learn about the city’s diverse neighborhoods and local attractions.
Presidential Palace Museum – President Habyarimana’s House In Kigali it is known as Habyarimana’s House – Today it is the Presidential Palace Museum, a place of interest and seeming contrasts to visitors. President Habyarimana was the President of Rwanda, the shooting down of his airplane as it approached Kigali in April of 1994 triggered the Rwandan Genocide. Here you can see how the former president of Rwanda lived – a tour of his former house gives you an insight into the mindset of President Habyarimana. You will see things such as electronic detection devices, hidden gun cabinet in his entertainment center. There is a chapel and next door where witchcraft rituals were conducted. This is just a simple and amazing place.
The gardens are a delight and there you can see the wreckage of the plane the then President was traveling on. A visit here gives you an insight into the mindset of former President Habyarimana and his rule which led to the Genocide – much of it inspired by his fanatical anti-Tutsi wife Madame Agathe.
Hotel des Mille Collines – Hotel Rwanda It does not look like it is in the movie “Hotel Rwanda” – simple explanation – the movie used a hotel in South Africa where most of the movie was made. Hotel des Mille Collines present general appearance is the same as it did in 1994 – it has gone through a few face-lifts since 1994 (staying in the hotel just after the genocide was quite an experience) and it has new ownership and no longer the Sabena Group that owned it before, during and after the Genocide. A stay here is what many visitors to Kigali do, others come to have breakfast, lunch or dinner at Hotel Rwanda des Mille Collines Hotel, enjoy the pool.
Hotel Rwanda should certainly be on your list of things to do and see while in Kigali either by spending the night or having a meal or drink. take a few pictures and maybe even here a story of the time in the Spring of 1994.
Interactive Guided Tour of the Muslim Quarter of Nyamirambo Nyamirambo – the Muslim Quarter of Kigali but more. It is that part of Kigali where life goes on after dark with quaint pubs and places where you can get Goat Brochettes and enjoy the evening with good friends newly made in Rwanda or those with you.
The Nyamirambo Women’s Center The center offers guided walking tours of the Muslim Quarter of Nyamirambo – one of Kigali’s most diverse and colorful neighborhood. The guided tour takes you through homes, with their Arab influences, the market, the West African tailors, hair salons, recording studio and more. Your hosts will invite you to one of their homes, where you can learn to cook a Rwandan meal. You can also visit one of the local mosques. Throughout your time here you will love the bright colors, sounds and smells of Nyamirambo.
Belgian Soldier Memorial Site On April 7 – 1994 10 Belgian Soldiers – all privates were cruelly murdered – they had been guarding Madame Agathe Uwiligiyimana, the Rwandan Prime Minister and her family. On April 7 – 2000 the Belgian Government unveiled a memorial to those 10 soldiers on the grounds of a former military camp – Camp Kigali. It is a simple 3 room building where the bullet holes of the attacking Soldiers of the Forces Armées Rwandaises (FAR) sprayed the hideout with bullets, eventually killing everyone inside. The marks of the attackers’ shells have been left untouched. The Prime Minister her family that the Belgian Soldiers were guarding were also killed on that day.
Coffee shops, bars and local and international restaurants ranging from Chinese, Italian, North African, East African, Thai and Greek cuisine can be found around the city. Resto-bars are a favorite among Kigali’s residents as people enjoy a delicious meal early on and stay to enjoy the music and drinks afterwards. Kigali’s growing nightlife is sure to entertain any visitor.
Nightlife info
Bars and Night Clubs
There are a wide range of bars, cafes and clubs all over Rwanda. Kigali and tourist resorts in Rwanda have some of the most popular clubs in the country. Whatever type of bar or club you are looking for, you will find it in Rwanda. The most popular night spots in Kigali include Ogopogo and Papyrus bar both in Kimuhurura (Papyrus is now closed and being relocated next to Flamingo Chinese Restaurant) which can be described as expats night spot but attracts also locals mainly young men prying on western women. During the weekend and after midnight Papyrus can be overcrowded and reeking of sweat. The music tends to be the same week in and week out, with fair prices for drinks.
A slightly cheaper option in the same area is Sundowner up the road from Papyrus. Although it favors anyone with a taste for oldies and old school music during week nights, it has a variety of music over the weekend and attracts a large crowd. The service is a nightmare. It takes ages to get the attention of one of the many waiters, and even longer to get an order and the bill.
Shooters in Kacyiru is for those looking for cultural performances as they host a unique Spoken Word attracting an assembly of poets, musicians, writers, and different genres of artists and fans, Spoken Word offers a free platform of expression and the atmosphere is great. Le Must, which is the smallest night club in Kigali charge 5.000Rwf a head for entrance. The atmosphere is very cozy but the size can be a problem to anyone who prefers space. There is a terrace outside that can cater to these needs although it won't be of much use for anyone who has a problem with mosquitoes and girls.
Club Galaxy also known as Muhima Club also charges Frw 5000 for men but women get in free of charge. The ambiance is greater than the shooters and also has better music. Although it tends to get stuffy as the night goes on. Lighting and decor are impressive which probably explains high prices.
Planet Club at KBC in Kacyiru and New cadillac Night clubs are the most popular nightclubs in Kigali. They both have huge space and charge low prices. They play a mixture of local and Western pop artists. Both clubs usually kick off well past midnight with decent music with mostly young but… well good crowd. Planet Club also has an ideal set-up for pool enthusiasts. But both Planet and cadillac are infected by mosquitoes and girls.
And finally if you are one of those who enjoy interacting with locals in local bars, you should head to the Car Wash. Here you can have a cocktail at the garden bar with some locals who are relaxing while their car is getting washed. You can also head to Migina right opposite the main gate of Amahoro stadium in Remera surbub. There is a wide selection of bars like Mukunzi, Jackson's bar, Selecta, Vaticano and many more. The clientele is as is expected in any local bar, the beers are fairly priced and the music – although no different from what you would find in a typical Kigali bar – is danced to by energetic young crowds.
Culture and history info
Kigali city was founded in 1907 under German colonial rule, but did not become the capital until Rwandan independence in 1962. The traditional capital was the seat of the mwami (king) in Nyanza, while the colonial seat of power was in Butare, then known as Astrida. Butare was initially the leading contender to be the capital of the new independent nation, but Kigali was chosen because of its more central location. Since then the city has grown very quickly and is now the major political, economic and cultural center of Rwanda.
Kigali was part of German East Africa 1890–1916, when it was captured by allied forces during World War I. As part of the former Ruanda-Urundi territory, it came in trust under Belgian control 1919–62, when the independent states of Rwanda and Burundi were created. Kigali was heavily involved in ethnic violence between the Hutu and Tutsi peoples in 1994. As a result the population of the city decreased by over 100,000.
Dramatic population increase has been recorded over the past two decades with the post genocide period being the period this city experienced the highest population growth. This was because most of the returning Rwandans tended to go to the capital where there was considerable security.
The challenges facing Kigali city right now is modernization so that it can take the face of a true capital city, create jobs for all who are capable, making the city a place that is attractive to, and supportive of, business and investment, both within the Central/East African region and within the world’s economy. The city lacks basic social facilities such as clinics and schools because population density long surpassed the social service facility meant for it in almost all sectors.
In addition, the urban market status does not support the rural-urban influx and results in a severe unemployment crisis. In search for alternatives, many people are forced into criminal activities.
The majority of urban dwellers are lacking knowledge and skills to be economically productive. Parents have had a significant role in improving the status of education in the city especially after the 1994 genocide mainly through construction of several parents’- owned schools.
