When violent protests broke out in Burundi in April, most residents thought it would be a passing phase and soon normalcy would prevail. Alas! That didn’t happen and it does not even seem like it will happen in the near future if the current situation is anything to go by.

The lifestyles led by the refugees in Rwanda are very different; whereas some are living a high-rolling life, others are languishing in abject poverty. The high rollers have actually caused a price hike on some commodities, especially in bars and accommodation facilities.

Family hustle

"The cost of living in Kigali is high; right from food, clothing to accommodation. Nothing is cheap,” says Florence Irakoze, a 25-year-old refugee mother of two children.

Irakoze says the first Burundian refugees who came to Kigali got affordable accommodation, but with the big influx, landlords have since increased rent.

"I have relatives here in Kimironko staying in a three-bedroom house, with two bathrooms, two toilets and a small store. They pay Rwf200,000 in rent per month, while I part with Rwf250,000 per month for a two-bedroom house with similar facilities in the same neighbourhood,” she says.

Irakoze left Burundi mid-last month after she realised that the turmoil was not about to end. She did not come with her husband, a doctor at Bumerec Medical Centre in Bujumbura.

"My husband stayed behind because we could not afford to come and sit without any form of employment to generate an income. This is how we have managed to rent this house at Rwf250,000 (about BiF 564,000). My worry is that the situation is getting worse and it is becoming difficult to receive money from my husband. I am also worried about his safety,” she said.

Irakoze is, at least, lucky that she has a place to sleep and food to put on the table. Many refugees are not as lucky. Several families fleeing the turmoil in Burundi have had to use their meagre savings to pay for transportation across the border, leaving them susceptible to a miserable life.

One can also notice that most of the refugees are women and children. The husbands decide to stay back home, either to continue working or to protect family property.

Life of poverty

"Life is very difficult in a refugee camp. It is the kind of life that is characterised by poverty, limited or no access to education and inadequate medical facilities, among others. That is why I chose to move to the city, but it is also not very different from the life I left in the camp,” says Antoine Ntirabampa, 28, living in Gatsata.

Ntirabampa says he was in Mahama camp, but decided to come to Kigali to look for job opportunities. He says he was a student at the University of Burundi in Bujumbura, but he fled after the violent protests broke out.

"I had little money, which I used to travel here. I currently stay with a relative, but his job cannot sustain both of us. I am contemplating resorting to casual work because, at the moment, I only have one meal a day, and I do not want to bother my relative,” he says.

Ntirabampa says his family is still in the camp, but hopes to go back for them if he gets some money and a residence of his own. He, however, sounds pessimistic about the prospect of going back home soon because he believes that the violence is not about to stop.

"When you look at the situation back home, there is no sign of the country getting peace soon.

There is chaos everywhere and it gets worse by the day. I pray that I will eventually go back, but I do not have hope of ever finding anything or anywhere to start. It really hurts me when I see what our country has turned into,” he adds in a sombre tone.

Economic impact

Although it is difficult to determine how the flow of Burundian refugees has impacted on the economy due to lack of statistics, most landlords and bar owners have made a killing from the increasing number of patrons.

"It is a sad situation, but it is difficult to resist the money some of these people bring in. Some of them are well off, although there are many others who are really struggling. But again, I also need the money, so, I am forced to take advantage of such scenarios,” says Jamil Habineza, a landlord in Kabeza.

Bar owners have also profited from the rich who spend most of their time drinking and visiting various pleasure spots around the country. Although they will not mention that they are rich, when one looks at the lifestyle they lead, it is clear that money is the least of their worries.

"I do not have to worry about money, my family is well-off and they always find ways to send me money. My siblings abroad also chip in when my family has difficulties sending me money. Since I left Burundi in May, I have travelled to Uganda, Kenya and Goma in DR Congo. I have been to Gisenyi and Kibuye. Rwanda is safe and beautiful, so I do not worry much about anything,” says Fleury Niyomugabo.

Niyomugabo, his sister and their cousins reside in Kibagabaga estate and none of them has a job.

He says they applied for visas to go to the US and they are currently waiting for feedback.

Escaping political commotion

Burundians started fleeing into Rwanda earlier this year, but most of them started coming into the country in April. They claimed they were running away from turmoil instigated by Imbonerakure, the ruling party’s youth wing.

The director of refugee affairs at the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, Jean Claude Rwahama, says Burundian refugees in the country are close to 67,000 and registration is still ongoing.

Current Burundi situation

It is a far cry from what most people had hoped would eventually happen. Fighting is still ongoing and efforts to mediate between the government side of President Pierre Nkurunziza and the opposition FRODEBU Nyakuri Party seem to have hit a snag. This is because the opposition have refused to acknowledge Uganda President Yoweri Museveni, who was selected as the chief mediator last week in a summit hosted by Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.

The leaders also called for a postponement of presidential elections scheduled for July 15.

However, Issa Ngendakumana from the FRODEBU Nyakuri party, says the two-week postponement of the vote and the selection of President Museveni to mediate the crisis is unlikely to resolve the current political impasse.

"President Museveni cannot resolve all the problems we have in only two weeks. It is impossible.

So, we are not happy with the decision taken at the EAC Summit last Monday,” he said.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw