Taking advantage of the thriving bilateral ties between Rwanda and China, Chinese investors continue to expand their footprint in Rwanda, with investments in different sectors including the environment sector.

Among them is East Africa Bamboo Forest Industry Ltd, a Chinese firm that is planting bamboo whose seedlings are imported from China, and these will be used as materials in the bamboo processing factories being set up.

The year of 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Rwanda and China.

Investment in environment protection will be among the milestones to celebrate, during the 50th anniversary of Rwanda-China diplomatic ties being marked this month.

The first phase of the investment to process bamboo into different products is almost complete, Betty Guo, the CEO of East Africa Bamboo Forest Industry Ltd told The New Times.

The first factory to produce marine board, ply board and furniture is located in Gasabo district in Rusororo sector.

It is expected to produce 10,000 pieces of marine board per day.

"Works to set up the factory are in the final touches. We are installing a water system which will be complete in one month. We plan to start operating the factory early next year,” she said.

She said $5 million has been earmarked for the value addition of the bamboo plant in the country.

"$3 million of it is for bamboo processing and $2 million for nursery centre, bamboo seedlings, planting on 2,000 hectares and others,” she said adding over 1,000 green jobs will be created along the chain.

The second factory, proposed in Kicukiro district, will locally manufacture various bamboo-based products, ranging from toilet paper and other sanitary products to construction materials such as marine board and ply-wood, furniture, toothbrushes, shoe brushes, for sale in local and export markets.

"We are planning this next year. We started the one producing marine board and furniture because there aren’t yet enough bamboos as materials in Rwanda,” she said.

It will have capacity to produce 120 tonnes of paper pulp per day.

"Our investment has a big role in greening Rwanda and boosting Made-in-Rwanda initiative. The bamboo seeds imported from China are the best material for bamboo processing industry. They grow up straight without bending as we see some local varieties. The variety can grow up to 30 metres,” Guo said.

Last year, the Ministry of Environment and Rwanda Development Board (RDB) signed a concession agreement with East Africa Bamboo Forest Industry Limited, for the company to plant, manage and harvest around 2,300 hectares of bamboo in Kigali city, Bugesera, Ngoma and Rwamagana districts.

The company has permanent bamboo nurseries in Rwanda for quality seedling raising centre to provide bamboo seedlings in Rwanda and for exportation.

Currently, there are nursery beds with over one million bamboo seedlings in Kanombe sector, Kicukiro district to be planted soon on rivers and lakes catchments and around the storm-water channels for both environmental protection and supplying raw materials for Made-in-Rwanda products.

Rwanda seeks to increase bamboo cover from 530 hectares to 5,000 hectares to fully the bamboo processing factory.

"We had planned to plant bamboo on  2,000 hectares in five years but we are doing our best to do it in three years starting from this year. We want to fast-track so that we get enough raw materials for the factories,” Guo said.

She lauded the good status of Rwanda-China ties.

"Rwanda is a small country but it is a government that is trusted. The people welcome foreigners including investors. We are feeling comfortable and there is a market here. There are opportunities between Rwanda and China and its people,” she said.

A worker at bamboo seedling nursery by Currently, a Chinese company- East Africa Bamboo Forest Industry Ltd.

The bamboo processing factory Iis expected to produce 10,000 pieces of marine board per day.