Editor,

RE: This is with reference to the story: "Costing the Kigali Convention Center”(The New Times, April 3).

In recent times, Rwanda has moved rapidly up the ladder across many parameters. One such parameter is whereby the country is fast becoming a Meeting, Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) hub for the East African Community.

But what was missing, and what was actually impeding this transition towards becoming a MICE hub, was the lack of a convention centre in this safe, secure and spotlessly clean capital city of Rwanda.

During my many visits to the city, over the last several years, I did watch the virtually snail, slow progress of the bold and the beautiful Kigali Convention Center (KCC). Was I not, therefore, delighted to read in your newspaper, that the completion of the KCC would finally see the light of day?

Launching the KCC with an event, none other than the African Union Summit, as announced by The New Times, is by itself an achievement of sorts.

Major infrastructural projects always come at a tremendous cost. When such projects get delayed, for whatever reason, the costs only escalate. Such has been the case with the KCC. This was also the case with one of Mumbai's icons—the Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link. But now, both residents of India's business capital, as well as visitors to Mumbai, cannot but admire this architectural beauty.

This will surely be the case as to how residents of Kigali and visitors, also, will perceive the KCC.

I do sincerely empathize with all individuals and organizations who would suffer and bear the brunt of this development.But all said and done, KCC can and will achieve its objectives of making Kigali the MICE hub in the EAC.

This architectural monstrosity, as you have mentioned in your article, will enable Remarkable Rwanda to successfully bid for many international MICE events, thus bringing in the much needed foreign exchange for Rwanda.

Clarence Fernandes